Fourth Impact
by DreyonLegacy
Summary: I'm talking about Fourth Impact, and the true evoluton of Mankind. I'm talking about the war between the First and Second Angels..." The children of SA. KR, TH must fight to survive when the war between the Angels enters the human world
1. Prologue

Hey everybody. This is my first, probably last, and thus most likely only fanfic. Why Eva? Why not? I just got this idea in my head and I had to go with it. Like most of my work, it is all based around one single scene, with other junk to make it a story. There's going to be some WAFF in the beginning, then some humor, then onto the body of the fic, Action/Humor/Romance with a tad of angst and some really weird stuff. Lots of really weird stuff.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion. I do not own Pachebel Canon in D. I do not own a bunch of other junk. Gainax owns some stuff. I do not. Anything in this fic that resembles the work of another author is unintentional.  
  
Onto the fic:  
  
Fourth Impact: Prologue:  
  
"I'm what?!"  
  
AN: How's that for an introduction? Guess who said it. You'll find out in a couple of chapters. Unlike many other authors, I'm not going to beg you for reviews. I seriously doubt that anyone is actually going to read this. I'm writing this for me, myself, and I. And my ego, but he doesn't count. However, I won't object if anyone decides to give me a bit or R and R, C and C, T and A.um, ignore that last part. 


	2. Big Sister

You still here? That's a surprise. Really, it is. No, don't go away, if you're still reading you must not have anything better to do with your time. It's sad that you don't, but it's even sadder that I don't have anything better to do than to write this fic. Oh well, se la vie. I hope I spelled that right. Now for some background. Yay (think Monty Python and the Holy Grail 'yay' and you'll have the right tone." Third Impact failed. Asuka and Shinji wandered around Tokyo 3 for a while, and then other people started coming out of the sea of LCL. They rebuilt Tokyo 3, calling it Tokyo 4 now, and life has returned somewhat to normal. The bus system doesn't work, all the good t.v. shows have been lost completely (Why, god, why?), and many other small things don't exist anymore. Nothing major, but still. Rei is back, but the Lillith-Rei head is still floating in the bay. NERV has been partially rebuilt. Unit 01 is back on the ground, Unit 02 is in too many pieces to rebuild, and Unit 00 is still blown up. Kaji is nowhere to be seen, same with the Bastard, I mean Gendo, and Fuyutsuki. Disclaimer: read the prologue.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 1: Big Sister  
  
Soryu Asuka Langley opened her eyes as the bathroom door closed. She froze as she heard the shower curtain pull back and came face to face with him. Smack! "You pervert!" he fell back as she began to swing punches at him. Over the years he had gotten a bit faster than she, so he dodged most of the punches. She hated that, of course. What good was a boy if you couldn't hit him?  
  
"I suppose that this isn't a good time to tell you that you're beautiful?"  
  
She froze. Vanity wrested control away from her rage.  
  
"It's always a good time to adore my beauty-" Rage knocked Vanity out of the pilot seat, then punched Shinji square in his right eye. "You were looking at me, you stupid pervert!" She kicked him where it hurt and knocked him out of the bathroom.  
  
Shinji lay on the floor outside the bathroom holding back a scream. In addition to growing faster, he had also grown a spine and tended to speak his mind more. He was regretting that right now. Pen-Pen waddled over to him, warked, and shook his head in sympathy.  
  
Asuka felt much refreshed when she stepped out of the bathroom and went into the kitchen. She found Shinji lying on the couch whimpering. "Shinji, breakfast." She ordered. He didn't answer. "Shinji! Make breakfast!"  
  
"That hurt." He groaned.  
  
"Be a man and make me breakfast!" she shouted at him, walking over so that she was right in front of him.  
  
"How can I be a man if you keep trying to destroy my manhood?" he asked plaintively.  
  
(AN: this won't end well.)  
  
She pulled a fist back. "How about I destroy your face instead? Get in the kitchen and make breakfast!" She hauled him off the couch and pulled him into the kitchen. "Now make breakfast. I'm hungry." She grabbed a pan and brandished it menacingly.  
  
He reluctantly made breakfast for the two of them. They ate in silence, as always. They snuck glances at each other, as always. It was a typical summer morning. Unfortunately, that included the shower incident.  
  
It's always something. Sighed Shinji.  
  
Asuka finished and shoved the plate at him, expecting to clean it himself. She stalked over to the door and put on her shoes. "I'm going shopping with Hikari." She told him.  
  
"No you're not." Shinji said softly. She turned to the door and grabbed the handle, turning it. Nothing happened. She growled and turned it again. The door remained locked.  
  
"SHINJI, YOU IDIOT!" she stormed over to him. "What did you do to the door?"  
  
"I didn't do anything!" he retorted waiting for the expected blow to the face. It didn't come. He opened his eyes and saw Asuka standing in front of him, her fist centimeters from his face. The glare told him that she wanted an explanation. The fist told him to give it fast. "Misato went out this morning before I woke up and posted a sign saying that she had locked the door because she didn't want Dr. Akagi sticking us in more tests." The sentence tumbled out so fast that he was sure she wouldn't understand.  
  
"That is the dumbest thing I have ever head come out of your mouth, Third Child." Asuka told him. The fist completed its journey.  
  
In a small room in Central Dogma, three females watched the events at the Katsuragi household. Ritsuko shook her head. "I really don't think this is going to work, Misato."  
  
Misato grinned at her. "Have faith." She said cheekily.  
  
"Have faith?" asked Ritsuko skeptically. Misato nodded.  
  
"I have faith." She grabbed a can off the console. "Or at least, I have alcohol." She downed the beer and turned back to the screen. "That's true." Ritsuko sighed. "But I still think that this plan of yours is futile."  
  
Finally the third female spoke. "I don't understand." Rei turned to face Misato. "What is the reason for locking Ikari-kun and Soryu-san in your apartment?"  
  
Misato put on her 'teacher face' while Ritsuko burst into laughter. "It's like this, Rei. When a man and a woman are in love, it often takes them a lot of struggling to realize it. Therefore we have to put them in a situation where the only solution is to turn to each other for help."  
  
"Wouldn't it be easier just to tell them?" asked Rei. Misato frowned.  
  
"Where's the fun in that?" she demanded. Ritsuko hushed her.  
  
"They're talking again." She told them. Rei and Misato looked back at the screen.  
  
AN: So, that was the first chapter. As you can probably tell, this is going to be A/S. Or is it S/A? I can never get it straight. Oh well, too bad. Anyway, I've got the next few chapters out already, so read them before you comment.  
  
Insert Funny Quote Here. 


	3. Bored

You're still reading. You have way too much time. Anyway, more stuff is going to happen. Don't worry, this story isn't mainly about Shinji and Asuka. It's about what happens when the Evas go berserk and try to take over the Angel's jobs. No, not those Evas. You'll see.  
  
Disclaimer: See disclaimer on first chapter  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 2: Bored.  
  
"You idiot! This is your fault!" Shinji held his hands over his head in a futile attempt to block the punches raining down on him. She stood up again. Shinji continued to cringe in the corner. She stormed away, her red hair flailing behind her. "You stay there and don't say anything." She turned on the television. Nothing on. She went into her room. Nothing to do. She found Shinji in his room listening to his SDAT. "Stupid boy." She muttered. Then she stalked away. "What am I thinking, looking at him? Am I really that bored?" "Damn it!" she hissed. "Tomorrow's my 17th birthday and I'm trapped in the apartment with the Idiot!" she pounded her fist on the wall. "Is this someone's sick idea of a birthday present?"  
  
Ritsuko laughed as beer sprayed out of Misato's nose. "I never even thought of that!" the purple-haired woman exclaimed.  
  
"Sempai?" They all turned to see Maya in the doorway, trying to find them in the darkness. "Why are you in here? Aren't we supposed to be reprogramming the Magi?"  
  
"Come here, Maya." Said Misato. "You need to see this."  
  
The girl walked over to them and glanced at the screen. "Major Katsuragi! You didn't!" Misato nodded deviously. "I thought you said it was just a bad idea you came up with!" Maya frowned at her.  
  
"You look so cute when you're upset." Cooed Misato. Then she leered at her friend. "I bet Ritsuko agrees with me."  
  
Both the technician and the doctor blushed furiously.  
  
Rei continued to stare at the screen, oblivious to the taunting behind her.  
  
After lunch, which Asuka had to make herself since Shinji refused to leave his room, she went over to the door of "Shinji's Lovely Suite" to see if he had any ideas of how to get out of the apartment. Why doesn't anyone ever pay any attention to me? She demanded of herself. Why do people think it's all right to lock me in here, well knowing that Shinji is going to try and take advantage of me?  
  
He isn't. said a small voice. She frowned, trying to ignore her conscience. He's not like that. He really cares for you.  
  
Whatever. Like he could ever think of anyone but himself.  
  
He always thinks of other people.  
  
Then now he's going to think of something for me to do. He was still lying on his bed listening to his SDAT. "Give me that!" Asuka tore the SDAT out of Shinji's grasp and slipped the headphones on. She frowned, instantly recognizing the tune of the old classical piece. "I can play it better than that." At least it will give me something to do. She dropped the SDAT on Shinji's bed and strode into her room to get her violin. She set the bow on the strings, the notes of the piece flashing in her mind. Then she began to play. About halfway through the piece she suddenly picked up another noise. It was Shinji's cello. She frowned. He had audacity to interfere with her playing.it took her a while to notice that she was still playing, and even longer to realize that it sounded pretty good.considering that Shinji the Idiot was playing. She placed her violin on her bed and went into Shinji's room. He slid back, wondering if he was going to die. "Shinji!"  
  
"Sorry," he said instinctively.  
  
"Don't apologize, you idiot." She pulled him up from the bed. "Grab your cello and meet me in the living room."  
  
She stormed out, got her violin, and plopped down on the couch. Shinji arrived a few moments later. "Now then, what else do you know?" she asked.  
  
"Is something the matter?" he asked.  
  
"I'm BORED!" she shouted at him. His hand immediately went to his nose and he backed away. She blinked, wondering why he did that. Then she remembered. The seventh angel, synch training."I'm not that bored." He sat down again. "Pachebel Canon in D?" she asked.  
  
"Isn't that for quartets?" he asked. She glared at him and he quieted.  
  
They began to play. After a minute and a half Asuka realized that it wasn't working. She swore and placed the violin down before turning the television on again.  
  
"I do not believe that this is working." Rei remarked. The others had left, having gotten bored watching Asuka rant. Rei had nothing better to do, so she stayed behind, wondering how this was supposed to cause Asuka and Shinji to admit their feelings for one another.  
  
A light appeared behind her. "Don't be so sure of that. Shinji's starting to crack." Rei turned around. "Asuka will take a while longer, but I'm sure that it will be fine."  
  
"Why are you here?" she asked. The figure stepped forward.  
  
"I have my own love-life to worry about." Rei's eyes widened as the figure closed with her. Their lips met. As the figure pulled back, Rei's eyes were closed. She opened them into slits to gaze passionately at the figure.  
  
"What if someone sees us?" she asked. The figure shrugged.  
  
"They'll demand to know why I'm here, and why I caused so much trouble before, and what I'm doing with my hand up your skirt." He reached out.  
  
AN: Who is this figure? Why is he there? Why did he cause so much trouble before? And what is he doing with his hand up Rei's skirt? All right, who can't figure out the answer to the last question? (Don't answer that.) So, guesses as to who he is? I'm not going to tell you, not now, not next time, not the time after that.wait until about the sixth chapter. I'm forgetting something important. 


	4. Dinner and a Promise

Time for another round of stupidity with Neon Genesis Evangelion: Fourth Impact

I just realized that the title might be giving something away. Too bad. 

Insert paragraph of rambling…

Disclaimer: if you haven't read it in the prologue, then what are you doing here? That's the entire reason the prologue exists. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 3: Dinner and a Promise

"Damn." Asuka turned off the television. It was evening. Shinji was cooking dinner. Misato still hadn't returned. Pen-pen had spent the entire day safely locked in his fridge. Asuka was bored. She needed something to take her mind off of _that_ day.

"Shinji? Is dinner ready yet?" a muffled affirmative came from the kitchen. 

She stormed in to see him doing something that involved a lot of pots. "What is wrong?" he asked her, hoping to get a different answer than the last time. 

"Everyone is ignoring me!" she shouted at him. "Tomorrow's my birthday and no one cares!" 

Shinji smiled. "I care." He set down the first dish. Asuka blinked. It looked like something out of a German dinner. It smelled like it too. She glanced at Shinji who was putting down another dish. 

"What is this?" she demanded.

"I thought that I'd try something new, since tomorrow is your birthday." He answered. "I found a bunch of German recipes online, and decided to give you an early present since we're alone." 

She decided not to push her luck and they began to eat. She slowly began to smile as Shinji's delicious cooking began to work it's magic on her. "This is really great!" she exclaimed. He smiled shyly. 

Suddenly she stopped, placing her fork down on the table. Tears welled up in her eyes as memories of Germany came flooding back. Startled, Shinji walked over to her chair and knelt down beside her. "Asuka?" 

"They never cared about me at all!" she wailed. "No one cared about me." she turned away from him. "No cares!" 

"That's not true. I just told you-"

"You don't count, Shinji." She snapped. "You care about everyone. You cared about Wondergirl, the tramp, you even cared about that damn Angel even after he betrayed you." she tried to stop the tears, but they fell against her will. "Even back at home, no one noticed when my birthday would come by. All they'd notice is that I'd get sad, and they never cared about that as long as I could pilot Eva." 

Shinji gulped. A voice in the back of his head yelled at him to stop, but he for the first time in his life he completely abandoned caution. 

He spun her around so that she was facing him, and put his arms around her. She stiffened. "We all care about you here, Asuka." He told her. "We've celebrated every birthday you've had here."

"I had to yell at you to get you to remember." She reminded him. _Get off me, you pervert…_her thought was interrupted. 

"I promise to remember from now on." He told her. "I'll always care about you, Asuka."

"Really?" she asked. He nodded. 

"I promise." She finally wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer and letting the tears fall freely. _Even if he doesn't know, he still cares…_

"Asuka?" he asked softly. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I'm too upset right now to stop you." she replied.

"Who is it?" he asked, concern making his voice waver. "Who are you in love with?" she pulled back and hit him. 

"You idiot." She exclaimed. "You don't know how I feel about…you…at all."

"I do now."

"How sweet." Said Misato. She smirked at Ritsuko. The two of them had returned to find Rei still watching the monitor. Only now the blue-haired girl was covered in sweat, her hair and clothes were ruffled, and she had a dreamy smile on her face. The two women had decided that it would be better not to ask what happened. The last time they did Rei took it literally and they ended up with way too much information. Oddly enough Rei refused to tell them _who_, though they got plenty of _what _and _how_ and _where..._

"I guess it worked out after all." Ritsuko sighed. "You will keep them from doing anything, right?" no response. Ritsuko turned to her friend, who was downing another beer. 

When she finished, Misato grinned at the scientist. "They're adults now, Ritsuko. They can fool around if they want to." 

"You're impossible." Ritsuko glared at Misato. 

Rei sat back in her seat. "Does this mean we let them out now?" she asked. 

Misato shook her head. "It's 9:30. They aren't going anywhere."

Rei glanced back at the screen. "Then when are we going to move that concrete block from in front of the door? You have gotten many calls complaining about blocking the pathway."

Misato sweatdropped. "We can deal with that later." 

"Quiet you two!" Ritsuko hissed. "They're going into Shinji's room!" 

"Really?" Misato gasped. She turned to the monitor, switching it to the camera in Shinji's room. They watched as Shinji and Asuka sat down on his bed, their faces getting closer, and closer, and, 

Click. 

The two women turned to face Rei, who removed her hand from the console. "I believe that this moment requires privacy." The two women glared at Rei. 

"Rei, what have we told you about interfering with our plans?' asked Misato. 

"Make sure I have an exit before I do so." Rei recited, yanking out remote video feed and running off with it. 

Misato snarled, but Ritsuko held her back. "Misato, you'll never catch her."

"But without the video feed we can't watch anymore!" Misato whined. 

Ritsuko rolled her eyes. "Here, just have drink." She pushed a beer can at Misato, who absently opened it and drank it down in one gulp. 

AN: Well, there's the end of the WAFF. In my opinion it wasn't very WAFFy, but I was torn between making it romantic and making it in character. I mean, think about it, we're talking two angsty hormonal teenagers with mental problems and difficulties dealing with anger. What can you expect?  


	5. Plug Test

Last time, on Fourth Impact: "Everybody's ignoring me!" "I promise to remember from now on." "How sweet." "Rei, what we told you about interfering with our plans?"  
  
Now that the WAFF's over, I can start doing the slightly less romantic, more humorous part of the background story. Yep, everything up to the chapter after next is purely background history. It is mildly important, but not as important as the story itself.I hope.  
  
Disclaimer: See chapter 7  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 4: Plug Test  
  
I can't believe we still have to do these stupid tests." Ikari Asuka Soryu muttered. "It's been almost three years since the last Angel."  
  
"We have to do these because the UN wants to make more Evas, so they need data." Shinji said to his wife of three weeks. "At least, that's what Dr. Akagi says."  
  
"She just wants to see how far she can push us before we snap." Asuka retorted. She glanced around. "Why isn't Rei here?"  
  
"I don't know." Replied Shinji. "She disappeared about two days ago. No one knows where she went or why she left."  
  
Up in the bridge, Ritsuko was looking over the data screens.  
  
"Everything proceeding normally." Reported Maya. "Ego borderline 0.4.0.8.crossed."  
  
"Synch ratios?" asked Misato.  
  
"Let me see." Maya turned back to her screen. Suddenly Makoto yelped. An alarm went off.  
  
"AT field detected!" he exclaimed. "Blood pattern.blue!"  
  
"An Angel!" Misato and Ritsuko dashed over to his console.  
  
"Where is it?" Misato demanded.  
  
"It's in Asuka's plug." He reported. "Eject entry plug." Misato ordered. "Have Asuka moved to the medical ward to test for contamination. Shut down the simulation."  
  
The plug was force ejected and Asuka hauled out. She was still conscious, and made sure everyone knew that. "What the hell is happening?" could be heard even from the bridge.  
  
"Entry plug 02 shut down complete. The AT field has vanished."  
  
Ritsuko walked out of the bridge to check on Asuka.  
  
"Place the plug in cryostasis." Ordered Misato. "I want a full contamination search done on it, now!"  
  
Asuka sat outside the medical ward in a hospital gown. She was cold, she was tired, and she didn't look good in the stupid outfit. Her only consolation was that Shinji was there as well, holding her hand and listening to her spew curses in German. She glanced up as Ritsuko came up to her. "Asuka, I need to talk to you. Shinji as well." The two got up and followed Ritsuko into a darkened room. Misato was already in there.  
  
"Now, I've got good news, bad news, and worse news." Ritsuko said.  
  
"Give us the good news first." Said Misato.  
  
"We've found the Angel, and it won't be going anywhere or doing anything for another few months." Ritsuko told them.  
  
"So we have plenty of time to get it out of her entry plug." Misato muttered to herself. Ritsuko shook her head.  
  
"Listen first." She turned to the children. "The bad news is." she glanced down at her clipboard.  
  
Asuka frowned. "Out with it. Is something wrong with me?"  
  
"You're pregnant."  
  
"I'm what?!"  
  
(AN: remember this?)  
  
"You're-" Ritsuko was cut off as Asuka sprung from her chair and tried to jump on Shinji, her fingers curling like claws around his neck.  
  
"YOU IDIOT!" she screamed. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU-"  
  
"Asuka, wait." Ordered Ritsuko. "I need to tell you the other news."  
  
Suddenly an orange light surrounded Asuka, then flung out at Shinji. Everyone gasped in surprise, and the light disappeared. Everyone stayed frozen for a long moment.  
  
"That worse news is that the Angel is located right here." Ritsuko pointed to Asuka's abdomen. The redhead gasped and flung herself into her chair.  
  
"My baby! The Angel's going to get my baby!" she wailed.  
  
Ritsuko placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Asuka, the Angel is not going to get your baby." Asuka looked up at her. "The Angel is your baby."  
  
Silence.  
  
"SHINJI YOU IDIOT! YOU GOT ME PREGNANT WITH AN ANGEL!"  
  
AN: what a wonderful spot to end a chapter. So, who saw that coming? In case you were wondering, this last scene was the entire reason I wrote this fic, so you can go now. I mean, there's no point in continuing to read to find out what happens with Asuka's child, the Angel. Or finding out what happens with all those Evas that the UN is building. In fact, you might as well not read the rest of this zesty, action-packed epic novel filled with sophisticated humor and a dash of romance that will keep you begging for more. Absolutely no point in reading on whatsoever.  
  
DreyonLegacy: Sophisticated humor. Snort. Cough. Yeah right. Cough. Snort.  
  
Anyway, you don't have to read the rest. I'm just posting it to get this piece of -expletive- out of my computer without destroying it. 


	6. False Alarm

Last time, on Fourth Impact:  
  
"SHINJI YOU IDIOT! YOU GOT ME PREGNANT WITH AN ANGEL!"  
  
That sums it up quite nicely, yes. Okay, this is the last background chapter. Next chapter is where the real story starts. You should probably read this chapter because you might get a bit confused otherwise. You probably shouldn't be reading any of these chapters because there has to be something better for you to be doing.  
  
Disclaimer: See Chapter 9  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 5: False Alarm.  
  
Three months later.  
  
"Shinji! Get over here and help me!" Shinji hurried over to her. She was standing in front of her wardrobe, pouting. When she saw him, she grabbed him and almost flung him in. "Shinji. Find something that doesn't make me look fat."  
  
"But Asuka, you're not." She was getting upset because it was getting obvious that she was pregnant. It had been obvious for some time, but only now was Asuka acknowledging that.  
  
"Shut up and find something."  
  
"Asuka-" He turned to find that she was glowing orange. She always did that when she was upset. Ritsuko said that it was from her child feeling her anger, getting upset, and projecting it's AT field for her.  
  
In Central Dogma, an alarm went off.  
  
Makoto glanced at the screen. "AT field.blood pattern blue." he waited a moment, then shook his head. "Don't worry, it's just Asuka again." Everybody sweatdropped.  
  
Misato downed a beer. "Every other day, she just has to get the baby upset." People nodded sadly.  
  
"Tell me how this happened again?" asked Misato. Ritsuko sighed.  
  
"After the battle with the Fourteenth Angel, when Shinji merged with the LCL, he came back with an S2 organ and a core. He was an Angel from bonding with Unit 01. Thus, any children he has will be Angels."  
  
"Let's just hope he stops with this one."  
  
Misato smirked. "I think that decision will be handled by Asuka more than Shinji."  
  
Five months later.  
  
"You're now the father of a very healthy baby girl." The doctor placed the bundle in Shinji's arms. Trembling with fear, he pulled back the hood to stare into the bright blue eyes of a very human-looking infant.  
  
"Looks human." he murmured. He walked over to Asuka, who yanked the baby out of his hands and began to suckle her.  
  
"What are we going to name her?" he asked. She glanced at him, smiling. "Who made this possible?" Asuka asked him. "Who brought us together, made us fall in love and made us realize that we were in love? Who should get the embarrassment after all the pain she put us through."  
  
Shinji held back a snicker. "She's going to be so unbalanced by this."  
  
"I just hope our Misato doesn't pick up any of her namesake's habits." Replied Asuka.  
  
"What?" Misato's eyes were bulging. "You named her after me?" Shinji grinned at her, holding out his daughter.  
  
"Do you want to say hello to Misa-chan?" he asked. "Just don't yell too loud, she doesn't like it."  
  
"Misa-chan." Misato whispered, taking her from Shinji. The baby giggled at her. She turned to Shinji again. "Is she."  
  
Shinji nodded. "Blue blood pattern, ability to manifest an AT field." He told her. "She has an Angel core for a heart and an S2 engine for a stomach. Otherwise she's normal." Misato's eyes met those of Misato Jr. The woman's eyes widened as she stared into the depths.  
  
Misa-chan giggled again as Misato passed her back to Shinji.  
  
"No, she's not normal." Whispered Misato when Shinji walked away. "Far from it." She went to get a beer.  
  
"She's so cute!" exclaimed Suzuhara Hikari. Misato Jr. giggled and squirmed in her arms. Asuka smirked.  
  
"Say, where's Touji?" Shinji asked. Hikari chuckled.  
  
"He's feeding Takoru." She replied. "He has his father's appetite." Asuka shuddered. "Don't worry, he'll be out to see Misa-chan in a bit."  
  
"As long as the Stooge doesn't hold my baby." Said Asuka. "He'll probably drop her."  
  
"Asuka!" Hikari said indignantly. "I thought you said that you wouldn't be so mean to him."  
  
"I'm not mean." Asuka replied. "But I do have an image to keep up."  
  
Then Touji came out carrying Takoru in his arms. The two babies turned to face each other. Then Takoru blinked, and Misa started giggling uncontrollably. Touji, who had caught a glance at Misa's eyes, stared blankly at the baby.  
  
"Well, Hikari, it looks like your husband hasn't grown any more intelligent. He's staring at my girl like he hasn't seen one in years"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
AN: I originally was going to have two children, twin girls. I was going to have them named Kyoko and Yui, with Kyoko having Shinji's personality and Yui having Asuka's. A little mix-up at birth (^-^). Then I realized that I would have to create some boys to match them, but I wanted to have a brother and a sister somewhere, to create an overprotective-older-brother complex, and thus I would have needed another boy, and then things would have gotten out of hand. Furthermore, I would have needed to resurrect Unit 02, but I needed it down in order to make it so that they would only have a berserker Eva to work with. And finally, I realized that there were more jokes I could make with a young Misato, mostly involving beer. 


	7. Adam, Lillith, Rei, and Misato

Disclaimer: See chapter 4  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 6: Adam, Lillith, Rei, and Misato  
  
Fourteen years later.  
  
Three figures made their way across the plains surrounding Tokyo 4. The two in front strode on ahead while the third lagged behind.  
  
"Brother, slow down!" yelled the third. One of the two in front turned back to face her.  
  
"Mother is keeping up with me." He replied.  
  
"That's because you tripped me!" the third yelled. Their mother turned stopped and looked at them.  
  
"If your sister is unable to keep up with us, then we shall slow down." She said.  
  
The girl smirked. "Ha. That's what you get for tripping me." she said, striding over to them.  
  
Her brother's expression remained flat. "You started it."  
  
"What?" she demanded. Their mother nodded.  
  
"That is true." She turned back toward Tokyo 4, slicking back her long blue hair. "Now come on, children, we have to get to Tokyo 4 by sunset if you want to start school tomorrow."  
  
"Ikari-san!" shouted the teacher. Misato looked up, dragging her head from the desk.  
  
"Here." She muttered. She looked around the classroom. Takoru caught her eye and winked at her. She smiled back at him. Then she turned back to the teacher. She blinked as she saw two unfamiliar students enter the room.  
  
"Class, you have two new students today." Announced Takoru in his role as Class Representative. The two students bowed respectfully and gazed at the students. The boy's eyes caught Misato's, and for a moment she couldn't move. Then he moved on.  
  
"I'd like you to meet Ayanami Adamu and Lilliko." Misato frowned. She had heard that name before.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Misato was bored, as only a five-year-old could be bored. Nerv headquarters was so big, but there was nothing except the remains of Unit 01 to look at. Misato decided that it wasn't very pretty, so she had wandered away from Mother, who was in an argument with a technician. She found Father on the bridge talking to the Scary Lady. She scared Misato, because Misato had to go see her every once in a while, and the Scary Lady would do tests on her.  
  
".Have we located it?" asked Shinji. Ritsuko nodded.  
  
"Yes. We've pinpointed its location. Don't worry, it won't be going anywhere."  
  
"But you said that Misa-chan is Angel enough that if she comes into contact with Adam she could cause an Impact." Misato felt her eyes widen.  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
Adam.Adamu!  
  
Lilliko smiled and waved, while Adamu remained quiet. "Hello, my name's Lilliko. I'm so happy to be here. My mother told me all about." The class stared at her as she rambled about her mother's stories.  
  
".Brother?" she asked suddenly. "Aren't you going to say something?"  
  
"Hello." He said mechanically. Lilliko sighed.  
  
"You two can take the seats on either side of Ikari-san." Said Takoru. The two walked over and sat down.  
  
The teacher started his old, used, my-life-before-Third-Impact (AN: () lecture again. Misato looked at her screen and saw that she had a message. She opened it.  
  
Ayanami1: I take it that he's already given this lecture?  
  
FallenAngel: Many times. Many, many times.  
  
Misato waited as Lilliko sat back and laughed quietly. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
FallenAngel: What's so funny about this?  
  
Ayanami2: My sister's laughing because according to our mother, her old teacher at this school did the exact same thing.  
  
SugarHigh: Hey, so that's how you change the screen-name. You should change yours too, brother.  
  
Ayanami2: Why?  
  
FallenAngel: Everybody does it. You don't want to be labeled boring, do you?  
  
Ayanami2: I do not understand why it would be of any importance.  
  
Misato sighed. He was going to be boring. His sister on the other hand.  
  
AN: I just realized how short the chapters are. Most of my original fiction works have chapters ten pages long. But then, I'm not posting those, am I. So, who thought the my-life-before-Third-Impact joke was funny? If you didn't get the reference, you're not reading enough fanfiction. Just to let you know, and to establish it officially, Adamu is going to have Rei's old personality, while Lilliko gets the personality Rei had in that fake universe of Episode 26. Image of Rei running through street with a piece of toast hanging out of her mouth (^0^) Adamu is going to show a bit more humor than Rei did, though. I rather dislike old Rei, i.e. Rei's 1 and 2. I mean, she's interesting for what she is, a Lillith-Yui clone, but not for what she does, i.e. nothing. Asuka, on the other hand, is full of interesting antics. I just had to get that out of my system. 


	8. Reunion

Disclaimer: see chapter 5  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 7: Reunion  
  
"We had two new students in school today." Misato reported. "Ayanami Adamu and Lilliko." Her parents froze. Adam. Lillith.  
  
Ayanami. Shinji grinned. "So that's why she left."  
  
A ring came from the door. "I'll get it." Said Misato. She ran over to the door and opened it to find a blue-haired woman with a startling resemblance to Adamu and Lilliko. Misato was about to greet her when her parents rushed past her and embraced the woman, pulling her inside.  
  
"Rei!" Shinji exclaimed. "I'm so glad to see you."  
  
"I'm glad to see you too." She replied. Misato heard a polite cough behind her and spun around to see Adamu and Lilliko standing outside the door.  
  
"Come in." she said quietly. The three children watched their parents chat fondly.  
  
"I take it that your mother was a friend of my parents?" she asked. Adamu nodded.  
  
"They were very close." He replied. "Mother often said that if she hadn't met our father, then." Misato's eyes went round.  
  
"Your mother liked my father!" she giggled. Lilliko and Adamu turned red.  
  
"Not quite." He said quietly. Misato's eyes went even rounder.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"But she met our father too early." Lilliko hastily supplied, glaring at her brother.  
  
"Speaking of which, why isn't he here?" asked Misato. The twins glanced at each other.  
  
"He did something.very bad here." Replied Lilliko. "He said not to talk about it in front of your parents."  
  
Just then, their parents came back.  
  
"So, these are your children." Said Shinji. He turned to greet them. "She looks just like you." he froze when he saw Adamu.  
  
Adamu nodded and glanced at his mother. Then Shinji turned to Rei. "How?" he asked.  
  
Rei looked away. "He wasn't dead. He was badly hurt, but alive. He came to me because he'd caused you so much pain and didn't want to hurt you again. I nursed him back to health, and we." she trailed off.  
  
Shinji turned back to Adamu, who was looking at him unfazed.  
  
AN: Okay, now guess who the father is. DreyonLegacy: oh, hi Layra-chan. Whack! DreyonLegacy: What was that for? Whack! DreyonLegacy: What do you mean, tell them? It's supposed to be a- Whack! Whack! DreyonLegacy: But- Whack! DreyonLegacy: what do you mean, sleep on the couch? I don't sleep with you anyway- Whack! Whack, whack, whack-Thud. DreyonLegacy *lying on floor while Layra-chan brandishes bat*: all right, all right.  
  
"Pleased to meet you." He said, locking eyes with Shinji. "My name is Nagisa Adamu Ayanami."  
  
"I'm Nagisa Lilliko Ayanami." His twin chimed in. "Father regrets that he couldn't come, but he didn't want to cause problems." Shinji nodded.  
  
"Nagisa?" asked Asuka. "As in Kaoru Nagisa, the Fifth Child? As in Tabris, the Seventeenth Angel?"  
  
Rei nodded. "That's one reason why Third Impact failed." She told them. "You didn't kill all the Angels." She didn't tell them the other reason. There was no need to mention it in front of the children.  
  
AN: So, who guessed? Two things: About that Rei-Asuka thing, I'm a big fan of R/A-A/R, and you don't find too many of those kind of fics. I'm hoping for more, but being that this is the only fanfic I'll ever write, I'm not going to be much help. About that Kaoru-Rei thing, I'm also a sort-of fan of K/R, being that it allows for S/A. Anyway, you don't find too many Kaoru/Rei fics, not many at all. Almost all of the fics that involve Kaoru are K/S fics. I don't really have an objection to that, really, but I'd like to see more K/R. DreyonLegacy: You happy now? Whack! DreyonLegacy: There's ice-cream in the freezer.*Layra-chan runs off screaming happily* Stupid muse. Whack! 


	9. Deep Conversations

Last time, on Neon Genesis Evangelion: Fourth Impact:  
  
"My name is Nagisa Adamu Ayanami."  
  
*DreyonLegacy is staring at Layra-chan, who is eating the ice-cream right out of the bucket.with her face. Wrenching eyes away from the horridly fascinating sight, he turns back to his computer* Back to the story.  
  
Disclaimer: see chapter 8  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 8: Deep conversations  
  
Misato cleared her throat. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asked, hoping to break the tension. The adults nodded gratefully and she went into the kitchen. Adamu followed her.  
  
"How much do you know?" he asked her suddenly. She turned around to face him.  
  
"I know that our parents used to work together, and that your mother and my paternal grandfather were the cause of Third Impact." Adamu looked away. Misato didn't notice. "I also know that Rei is an Angel, and therefore so must you be. I'm also one, according to Dr. Akagi."  
  
"Where's the tea?" he asked. She pointed to the jar where they kept the tea leaves. A few minutes later they were boiling the tea and sitting at the table, talking awkwardly.  
  
"My parents don't really like talking about the past." She told him. Then she chuckled. "Once, my mother said that it was only because life back then was so painful that she even began to like my father." Adamu didn't laugh, didn't smile. Misato found that to be a bit creepy. "What about yours?"  
  
"My mother doesn't like to talk about the past either. My father says that he doesn't have one." Just then Lilliko bounced into the kitchen.  
  
"How's the tea coming?" she asked. Misato glanced at the kettle.  
  
"It will be done soon. We usually don't have guests, so I'm not used to making this much."  
  
Lilliko looked back and forth between the two children, who were gazing off into the distance. "What, did I interrupt a tender moment?" she asked teasingly. Misato blushed, and Adamu glared at his sister. "From your reactions I'd say that I did." Lilliko giggled.  
  
Then the kettle whistled. "I'll get it."  
  
Outside, the adults had moved to the living room to talk.  
  
"Adamu? Lilliko?" asked Shinji. Rei nodded.  
  
"We wanted to honor our parents, just like you." she replied. "Only, I didn't think that taking your parent's names would be suitable for me, so I went with Lillith, and of course my husband went with Adam." Shinji nodded.  
  
"And you warped them just enough to make them sound Japanese." Said Asuka. She glanced into the kitchen. "It looks like your daughter just interrupted a tender moment between your son and our daughter." She chuckled. Shinji, on the other hand, glanced back hastily.  
  
"Do not worry, Shinji." Said Rei. "My son is not very forward. It will take some time if anything is going to develop between them."  
  
"I don't know," he replied, "I'm not sure if I trust a child of Kaoru to be a slow developer in relationships."  
  
Rei smiled. "Yes, he was quite fast with both of us." Shinji couldn't see it, but Asuka could clearly see the dreamy, slightly dirty smile on Rei's face.  
  
"Shinji," she said to her husband, "Come on, they're only fourteen."  
  
"I fell in love with you when I was fourteen."  
  
"I fell in love with Kaoru when I was physically fourteen years old." Added Rei. Asuka fumed.  
  
"That was because we were stressed." She told them. "They, on the other hand,"  
  
Rei glanced away. "That's why I'm here." She told them. "Remember when the UN asked for more testing on us so they could build more Eva's?" Shinji and Asuka nodded. That was how they'd found out that Asuka was pregnant with Misato.  
  
"Something went wrong with them."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Where are we?" asked Lilliko. "This place smells like blood."  
  
"NERV headquarters, the Geofront." Replied her brother as they followed Rei down the halls. "This is where Mother used to live and work with Ikari-san and Soryu-san." Lilliko nodded, her eyes going wide.  
  
"It's not all that interesting." Said Misato. "I've been here plenty of times. The only thing to look at is the remains of Terminal Dogma, which is just a big red cross surrounded by pools of blood, and Unit 01."  
  
They turned to face her. "You've seen Unit 01?" they asked in incredulous unison. She nodded, confused as to why it would be so important. It was just an ugly piece of junk. It nearly destroyed the world, true, but it was still ugly. (AN: okay, who thinks that Misato's priorities are a bit.off?)  
  
"They haven't gotten the restraints back on, so it looks like a big mummy. That's it." She shrugged. Both Adamu and Lilliko stared at her.  
  
They entered the Bridge to be greeted by Misa's godmother and namesake, Katsuragi Misato.  
  
"Hey, Misa-chan." Misato said. "Want a beer?" she asked playfully.  
  
"She's too young." Said Rei. Misato grinned.  
  
"It's a running joke." Said Shinji. "Misato claims that only someone with her drinking habits deserves her name."  
  
"Well, she should be able to take it," said Misato, "seeing as she has an Super Solenoid Engine for a liver."  
  
"I don't believe that it works that way." Said a voice. Rei turned to see a brown-haired version of Akagi Ritsuko walk in. She must have stopped dyeing her hair after Rei left. "Good to see you Ayanami." She stopped in front of Adamu and Lilliko.  
  
"You were the one that set mother free." Said Lilliko. She bowed to the surprised Dr Akagi. "Thank you." Rei smiled.  
  
Then Maya walked in, carrying a bundle in her arms. The bundle turned out to be a baby girl.  
  
"You would be Lt. Ibuki Maya." Said Lilliko. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Maya blushed. "Nice to meet you too." She leaned over to Lilliko. "Don't tell anyone, but it's actually Akagi Maya now." Lilliko smiled and turned to face the group.  
  
"Guess what, everybody!" Maya blushed. Rei turned to her daughter.  
  
"Lilliko, stop that." She said. "If Maya doesn't want everyone to know, then you're not going to tell anyone that she's-" Maya cut her off with a yelp.  
  
"I don't know why you're so upset about it, Maya." Said Ritsuko.  
  
"But, Sempai," complained Maya, "It's embarrassing. It sounds so cliché." Ritsuko sweatdropped.  
  
"So, who's the father?" asked Ritsuko.  
  
"Can't you tell?" asked Shinji quietly. Ritusko blinked, then turned to stare at Adamu. He gave her a perfect imitation of his father's grin. To top it off, he began to hum Ode To Joy.  
  
"Tabris-"  
  
"Kaoru." Interrupted Rei. "He left Tabris behind a long time ago."  
  
Ritsuko lifted an eyebrow but said nothing. She turned to the group. "On to business." Maya sat down at her console, placing the baby beside her, and gestured to the two technicians beside her. Rei absently noticed that while Makoto was still there, someone had replaced Shigeru.  
  
"We have reports that Eva Units 14 through 17 have all gone berserk." Pictures appeared of four monsters, vaguely humanoid and looking more like Angels than Eva's. "We also have AT field readings from seven more countries around the globe." Twelve new enemies.  
  
"What about Units 18, 19 and 20?" asked Rei. Ritsuko turned to face her as if asking her 'How did you know about them?'  
  
"Unit 19 is half complete. Unit 20 is nothing more than a skeleton right now. Unit 18 is fully complete, but shows signs of Angel contamination." She replied. "All three are being shipped to us right now."  
  
"How long until they arrive?" asked Shinji.  
  
"They will arrive in about." she glanced at the screen. "now." There was a roar as three huge ships landed outside the Geofront.  
  
They went outside and watched as Units 18, 19 and 20 were unloaded from the ships and moved to the cages. Suddenly Lilliko caught sight of a figure floating toward Units 18 and 20. "Father!" she cried out. Everyone spun to face Tabris.  
  
He jerked away from his path and flew toward them, landing in Rei's arms. "It's still there." Kaoru said softly. "Even after all these years as a human I'm still drawn to Adam's soul."  
  
"What's Adam's soul doing in Units 18 and 20?" asked Rei. Ritsuko looked at the ground. "Unit 01 is a copy of Lillith. So is Unit 19. Units 18 and 20 are copies of Adam like Units 00, 02, 03 and 04 were. As a result we placed their souls in the Eva units." She was met with glares from all sides.  
  
"We had no choice!" she told them. "The Eva's AT field abilities come from the souls trapped in their cores. Do you want to lose another loved one to those monsters?" she demanded. Shinji and Asuka stiffened and turned to face each other.  
  
Misa glanced away. She knew that her parents had both lost their mothers to their Evas. She ended looking at Adamu. So, he is not Adam. I don't have to worry about him. For some reason she was more relieved than she thought she should be.  
  
AN: do I have anything to say? Um.Units 14 through 17 all went berserk. Why? I'll tell you later.maybe. It took me so long to figure out whose souls were going to go in the new Units. I couldn't put Asuka's and Rei's souls in there, that would be mean. Besides, this gives the new Berserker Evas a reason to come to Tokyo 4 and attack the GeoFront. Uh-oh, my muse is out of ice-cream. 


	10. School

Disclaimer: See chapter 6  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 9: School  
  
"Misato," said Takoru. She looked up at him. "You look stressed." She looked away.  
  
"Did your parents tell you about what happened when your father was fourteen?" she asked. He blinked.  
  
"A lot of things happened when he was fourteen."  
  
"I'm talking about Eva." She said flatly. He abruptly sat down. Touji had told him about what had happened with Unit 03. Takoru had nightmares for a week. He shuddered. "More of them have gone berserk." She said. "We have to fight them. I'm part of the team."  
  
He looked away, frightened. Then he grinned suddenly. "You know, if this situation weren't so serious, I'd say that it's funny."  
  
"How?" she asked. He could always find something funny in every situation that didn't involve his personal embarrassment.  
  
"Well, back then we were using Evas to fight Angels." She nodded. "Now we're using Angels," he gestured at her "to fight Evas."  
  
She blinked at him several times, then chuckled. "That is ironic, isn't it."  
  
He looked up. "Oh, the teacher's here. I'll talk to you during the lecture." He dashed over to his seat to deliver the required "Stand, bow, sit" routine.  
  
The teacher then began his "my life before Third Impact" lecture, and life went on.  
  
FallenAngel: So how is life in Tokyo 4?  
  
SugarHigh: Not bad. You've come a lot farther than the other cities have.  
  
FallenAngel: Well, we were the first to recover from Third Impact.  
  
Misato was very proud of that. Her own parents had been the first to recover from Third Impact. Physically at least. The city had followed suit.  
  
Ayanami2: Why haven't they moved mother's head yet?  
  
He was referring to the rotting remains of Rei-Lillith's head, still lying in the lake next to Tokyo 4. It was a gruesome sight, but some people insisted on keeping it as a tribute to.something.  
  
FallenAngel: Laziness.  
  
Joker: Can I get in?  
  
FallenAngel: Sure, Takoru. Have you met Adamu and Lilliko personally?  
  
Joker: Oh, you're on a first name basis already. Snicker.  
  
SugarHigh: I would have thought that the class representative would be a bit more polite.  
  
Ayanami2: I wouldn't have. He is Suzuhara-san's son.  
  
Joker: Hey! Just because my father was  
  
There was a long pause as Takoru searched for a suitable word  
  
Joker: was honest, doesn't mean that he was rude.  
  
FallenAngel: Come on, Takoru, he was just joking.  
  
Ayanami2: I was joking?  
  
SugarHigh: You know, Adamu, if you keep this attitude up Misato is never going to go out with you.  
  
Both Adamu and Misato began blushing.  
  
Joker: I knew it! You are getting close, aren't you.  
  
Misato signed off, as did Adamu.  
  
SugarHigh: So, rude-boy, do you have any interests?  
  
Joker: Well, I like football, and track, and anything that involves  
  
SugarHigh: I meant girls.  
  
Joker: Which highly inappropriate response would you like?  
  
Takoru glanced at her and smirked.  
  
SugarHigh: Just tell me if you like anyone. I lived in a small house in the middle of nowhere for all of my life. I need some gossip. So, who do you like?  
  
Joker: Does that include you?  
  
Lilliko blushed and signed off.  
  
Takrou sat back in his chair and watched the teacher. So far not a single thing was different about today's lecture. Many of the students had already fallen asleep, Misato included. He glanced at Adamu and Lilliko. The former was staring out the window. The latter was writing something. A moment later he felt a paper airplane smack into his head. He caught it and unraveled it.  
  
"Stupid boy." Was all it said.  
  
He glanced back to see Lilliko sitting at her desk, still writing. There was a knock from the doorway. The teacher went over to answer, turning away from the classroom for a moment. Suddenly Takoru felt a hand smack him across the cheek. He glanced around, but saw no one. Only now Lilliko was grinning at him. He turned back to the teacher, who was still talking. Then the shower of paper balls hit him.  
  
He sat down next to Misato and began to eat. Lilliko appeared.  
  
"If you're going to dump more paper on me, please wait until I'm done eating." He told her, then began to dig into his bento with his father's appetite. Lilliko giggled.  
  
"Don't worry." She told him. "I ran out of paper." She sat down next to him and leaned back against the tree, looking around. "Is it always like this at lunch?"  
  
"Chaotic? Disorganized? Begging for a food-fight?" asked Takoru around a mouthful of noodles. "Always."  
  
"Class representative." She shook her head. "How did you become that?"  
  
"I'm the only one who managed to memorize enough of the teacher's lecture to do well on the test." He replied. "The rest of the class didn't care, but I inherited my mother's academic habits."  
  
"He also inherited his father's athleticism." Added Misato. "And his parent's good looks. Now if he could work on his politeness he might be prime boyfriend material." She shot a glance at Lilliko, who blushed.  
  
"Well," said Lilliko, "I can tell you that my brother is not prime boyfriend material." Just then, said brother appeared.  
  
"Never wanted to be." He said. Lilliko bounced to her feet and whispered something in his ear. He grimaced, turned red, glanced at Misato, then tripped his sister.  
  
"Eek!" she landed with a thud, glaring at him. He gave her a small smile and took a seat next to Misato, on the other side of Takoru.  
  
"That's the only form of humor that I'll ever show, so don't get your hopes up." He told them.  
  
He trips his sister as a joke? Thought Misato. Weird.  
  
"Oh, Takoru," she said suddenly, "tell them your funny observation."  
  
Takoru nodded. "Well, I said to Misato that back in our parent's day, they were using Evas to fight Angels." Lilliko and Adamu nodded. "Now, you'll be using Angels," he gestured to Misato, "to fight Evas." Lilliko burst out laughing.  
  
"We're still using Evas." Adamu said quietly.  
  
"You just don't get jokes, do you." said Takoru.  
  
"I get the joke, and it would be humorous if it was true." Adamu replied blandly. "But it is not."  
  
Takoru rolled his eyes. "Weird." He turned to Lilliko. "So, you're Ayanami's kids. Sort of hard to believe, considering what my father told me about her."  
  
"What was that?" asked Lilliko. "I know that Adamu acts like mother did."  
  
"That's the point." Said Takoru. "You said it yourself, he's not exactly boyfriend material. Your mother wasn't really girlfriend material either, according to my father. And my mother, surprisingly enough."  
  
"Our mother saved our father from the brink of death." Said Adamu. "That earned her gratitude enough that our father ignored her shyness."  
  
Takoru blinked, then turned back to his lunch. "Interesting."  
  
Just then an alarm went off. "Angel Alert." The four children shot up.  
  
"Got to go." Said Misato. She began to run off in the direction of NERV. Lilliko and Adamu followed her.  
  
"You two get to the shelter." Said Adamu. "There is only one working Unit. I'll pilot it."  
  
"But-" whined Lilliko. He pushed her back and ran on ahead at a speed faster than Misato could hope to achieve.  
  
"Come on," she said to Lilliko. "Let's go. We have to either reach NERV or a shelter, and I don't think your brother would be happy with us at NERV."  
  
AN: And that's where I end the chapter. Should I wait a month before I post again? Wait, I don't have time next month. Anyway, next up is the fight against Unit 14. See you. 


	11. Battle with Unit 14

Disclaimer: See chapter 3  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 10: Battle with Unit 14  
  
In NERV, Adamu was getting into the plug when a visual came up on the screen in front of him. It was an Eva with several extra arms, no legs, and a tail. The head was flattened with a distended lower jaw. He launched and grabbed his Progressive Knife. Ignoring the pain in the back of his head, he ran forward at the Angel. Unit 14 lashed out with an arm and knocked him back.  
  
On the bridge, Maya was looking around nervously. "Sync ratio at 56 and dropping."  
  
"We can't hope to win with a short range attack." Said Misato. "We need to get it from far away."  
  
"Sending up Pallet gun." On the screen they saw Unit 18 grab the gun and begin firing. "He's good at this." Remarked Makoto.  
  
"He has all of his father's skills." Replied Ritsuko. "He should be able to boost his sync ratio, as his father was able to."  
  
Suddenly Unit 14 jumped forward, interrupting his gunfire and landed on top of him. Adamu tried to grab his Progressive Knife but the Angel knocked it away. Then the tail came down and pierced through Unit 18's hand. Adamu screamed. The Angel slowly got off him, leaving him pinned by his hand. The tail snapped off, a new one growing in its place. The Angel continued to walk toward the GeoFront. Adamu turned around and grabbed his gun, firing at the Angel. The Angel ignored him.  
  
"Sir!" shouted Makoto. "We've got another AT field reading from inside Unit 18."  
  
"The Angel contamination." Said Ritsuko. "We need to shut down Unit 18."  
  
Adamu looked up at the figure before him. It was nebulous, made of light, vaguely female in shape.  
  
"You are the pilot?" it asked. He nodded. "You have returned to me."  
  
The people on the Bridge stared as Unit 18 began to rise. The tail impaling its hand tore out of the ground as the fingers curled around it.  
  
"Sync ratio at 104 and rising!" shouted Maya.  
  
"AT field increasing."  
  
"Berserker." Whispered Misato, feelings of déjà vu sweeping through her.  
  
The Angel turned around in time to be smashed inn the head with its own tail. Unit 18 stumbled around like a drunkard, swinging the tail wildly. But every swing hit Uni14, and the head was rapidly getting demolished. "AT field readings increasing. No manifestation, though." Makoto sounded confused. Everyone else was. Where was the AT field? Then Unit 14 lashed out with two arms, knocking the tail away and striking again. Unit 18 used the tail to block Unit 14 and grabbed the Progressive Knife, ducking under the Angel and stabbing upward. Unit 14 roared as the Knife hit its core. Unit 18 continued to stab upward until the core shattered. Unit 14 exploded. When the smoke cleared Unit 18 was lying against a collapsed building, the tail still impaled through its hand. "What's the situation with the pilot?" demanded Misato.  
  
"The pilot is alive but unconscious." Replied. Maya. "His hand is bleeding, but otherwise he's fine."  
  
"Get me visuals of the inside of the plug." A screen appeared showing Adamu lying in the plug, eyes closed. His hand was curled as if wrapped around something, and blood was seeping into the LCL from between his fingers. "Get him out of there."  
  
Adamu opened his eyes to see Lilliko sitting next to him. He blinked. "What happened?"  
  
"Berserker." She told him quietly. He could hear someone hiss on the other side of the bed.  
  
"Lilliko!" said Misato Jr. "You weren't supposed to say that yet!"  
  
"He deserves to know." Said Lilliko. "Wouldn't you want to know how you ended up with a hole in your hand and a dead Angel lying splattered across your house?"  
  
Adamu closed his eyes. "Stop that. I've got a headache." The two girls immediately silenced.  
  
In the Cages, Misato Sr. was talking to Ritsuko when Rei arrived. "Have you found the Angel contamination yet?" the blue-haired woman asked. Ritsuko shook her head.  
  
"No sign of it now." She told her. "It's like it was never even there." She frowned. "For all I know it might have moved into your son." Rei's eyes widened slightly, and she spun on one heel and left the Cages for the hospital.  
  
Misato looked up at Unit 18. "I hope this doesn't turn out the way the last Angel fights did." Ritsuko nodded in agreement.  
  
"We need to get Adam somewhere safer." She replied.  
  
"But I thought that we couldn't move it now." Said Misato. "It's too dangerous, right?'  
  
"It is for normal humans. Furthermore, we can't let the new Children do it either."  
  
"So what can we do?"  
  
Lilliko looked up as the girl walked over to her.  
  
"I know that you're new here," said the girl, looking concerned, "so I have some advice for you." Lilliko nodded, intrigued. "Stay away from Ikari."  
  
"Why?" asked Lilliko.  
  
"Because," the girl leaned in close to Lilliko and whispered in her ear, "she's an Angel."  
  
Lilliko's eyes widened in feigned horror. "She is?" she asked, sounding incredulous. The girl nodded.  
  
"She is. Don't get too close to her, or she'll hurt you." the girl glanced at Misato, who was talking to Takoru. "Don't let her innocent exterior fool you, she really is an Angel. I've seen the thing in her chest."  
  
Lilliko smirked, looking the girl in the eye. The girl shivered as Lilliko's blood red eyes bore into her. "You mean this?" Lilliko pulled her shirt up just far enough to reveal the red core imbedded in the bottom of her ribcage. The girl screamed.  
  
"Ayanami's an Angel!" The entire class, except for Misato and Takoru, pulled back. Lilliko examined the class, fluttering her silver-blue hair back. She absently manifested her AT field just for show, then smiled sweetly at the class.  
  
Takoru was immediately by her side. "You shouldn't have done that." He told her quietly. He pointed at Misato, who was weeping. Lilliko's eyes widened.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"She's been feared ever since she started school." Takoru explained. "She had no friends other than me because of that stupid core." Lilliko slumped in her chair.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." She said. She got up and walked over to Misato.  
  
"Misa-chan?" she said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
"It's all right." Misato replied. "It's just that all those." she gestured at the still terrified class, "don't understand. Just because I'm supposedly higher on the evolutionary scale," she snorted, "they all think I'm going to kill them like the original Angels." She smiled suddenly. "I'm not even allowed to wear a two-piece swimsuit in public because I have to hide my core." They both laughed quietly.  
  
"It's a shame." Agreed Takoru. "She has such a pretty core, too."  
  
Lilliko turned to him. "What were you looking at her core for anyway?" she demanded.  
  
"Um, time to get back to class." Takoru said suddenly. He turned to face the class. "Nothing to see here. Back to the lessons. Any time you're ready, sensei." He sat down. The class slowly filed back into their seats, watching Lilliko warily. She was glaring at Takoru.  
  
"I'm home." Lilliko plopped down on the couch. She glanced at her brother. "You're lucky." She complained. "You get to stay home because of 'injuries.' We both know that your Super Solenoid engine heals you in less than a day." He nodded, unconcerned. "I told everyone that I was an Angel today."  
  
"How did they take it?" he asked.  
  
"Badly." She said simply. "Don't mention it around Misato." She told him. "She's been shunned since she got into school because of what she is, and is very sensitive about it."  
  
He nodded. Then their mother returned home.  
  
"Your father is going to check on the other rogue Evas." She told them. "He'll be back in a few days." She sat down between them and put her arms around them. "Fortunately," she continued, "the Eva had a dummy plug in it. We're not sure of who yet, though."  
  
Suddenly Lilliko was hit by a thought: What is Adamu supposed to do for boys' swimming? AN: There. The first bit of Angst. Misato is sensitive to her Angel problem, and the class is scared of her. Now all I got to do is figure out where I'm going with this. I literally have no idea where this is going. I'm just going to keep everyone in character and see where that leads me. Probably in circles. Insert funny quote here. 


	12. Unit 01

What time is it? I can't tell what's going on. I'm not sure how long this is going to be, but the chapters will be getting longer, slowly. Or maybe quickly. Now we get to see what will happen when the infamous Unit 01 is reactivated.  
  
Disclaimer: see some other chapter  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 11: Unit 01  
  
Shinji stood next to Ritsuko, shaking his head. "I really don't think that we should be bringing this thing out of cryostasis." He told her.  
  
"Don't worry," Ritsuko replied absently. "We've gotten rid of all the contamination. All we need to do is calibrate it for your daughter."  
  
"And what if it goes berserk?" he asked.  
  
"You said yourself that you can't feel your mother in there anymore." She answered. "Therefore there's nothing that's going to make it go off. It's purely Lillith now."  
  
Shinji looked doubtfully at Unit 01.  
  
Misato waited for her mother to stop yelling, nodded dutifully, and went up to her room. She heard her phone ring and picked it up. "Hi, Misato." Said Lilliko's voice.  
  
Misato smiled. "Hey, how's your brother doing?"  
  
"He's fine." Lilliko replied, sounding more than a little annoyed. "He used his 'injuries' to stay home from school."  
  
Misato frowned in concern. "He's not hurt, is he?"  
  
Lilliko laughed. "Misa-chan, we have S2 engines. We can regenerate within minutes if we have to." Misato nodded. "He just wanted to have an excuse not to listen to the teacher's theories about Third Impact."  
  
"I don't blame him." Replied Misato.  
  
Lilliko chuckled. "Say, you want to go to the mall? I need to get some new clothes."  
  
"Sounds good." Replied Misato. "Saturday?"  
  
"Meet you there." Lilliko answered. "Bye."  
  
Misato put down the phone to hear the door close as her father returned home.  
  
"How's Unit 01 coming?" she heard her mother ask. She couldn't hear her father's reply, but he looked worried as he came up the stairs. Nevertheless, he still gave Misato a big hug and ruffled her hair before going into his room. Misato was getting a very bad feeling that she was going to be the pilot of the infamous Unit 01. Suddenly her phone rang again. She picked it up to find Takoru on the other end. "You all right?" he asked.  
  
He was rude, but he was sweet, thought Misato. "I'm fine. Sorry for breaking down in class."  
  
"It was only to be expected." He said. "Are you free on Saturday?"  
  
"Sorry, I'm going shopping with Lilliko." She could almost hear his grin.  
  
"Can I tag along?" he asked, "And maybe you could get us lost, and then wander off on your own to get help."  
  
"You shameless-" she laughed. "Why not. I ought to, just to see what Lilliko does to you."  
  
"See you Saturday." Her phone clicked.  
  
Saturday  
  
Misato glanced around. She could see Takoru hiding behind a pillar several meters away, but there was no sign of Lilliko.  
  
"Boo!" she stifled a yelp and spun around. Lilliko grinned. Adamu didn't.  
  
"You dragged your brother along?" Misato asked incredulously. She nodded.  
  
"Need someone to carry the bags." Lilliko explained. "Last minute decision."  
  
Misato blinked. "Good. Let's go." Out of the corner of her eye she could see Takoru following them.  
  
So, as she had two boys with her, and another mischievous girl, she led them to the clothing store and straight into the swimsuit section.  
  
Adamu turned red. Bright red. Misato stifled her laughs. Lilliko didn't.  
  
"Come on, brother. It's not like it's anything you haven't seen before." His face became even redder.  
  
"Adamu?" asked Misato. "Lilliko, what did you mean, nothing he hasn't seen before? Has he been going around looking at girls in swimsuits?"  
  
"Didn't you know?' asked Lilliko. "Angels have x-ray vision." She leaned in to Misato, whispering loudly, "He could be looking through your clothes right now."  
  
Adamu spun away as Misato flung her arms over her chest. "Eek! Pervert!"  
  
"Just kidding!" said Lilliko. Misato blushed and swatted at her. Lilliko laughed, grabbing Misato's hand. "Come on, let's try some swimsuits on so that Adamu can get a real glimpse of you."  
  
It's a good thing that I can control my body, thought Adamu, nodding blankly at Misato. She smiled and went back into the changing room. Otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble right now. He was still blushing anyway. "That's enough." Misato said finally. "Adamu's about to run out of oxygen from holding in that nosebleed." His sister nodded and they went off to purchase their selections. Adamu absently noticed that they had only gotten two-piece swimsuits, all which seemed to emphasize their cores. The boys at school were in for a surprise.  
  
"Misato!" she turned around to see Takoru waving to them. "Fancy meeting you here!"  
  
She grinned. "What are you doing here?" she asked, striding out to meet him and placing her bags in his arms. He blinked.  
  
"I'm-" he glanced into a bag. "What did you buy?!"  
  
"Enough bikinis to make my brother have a heart attack." Replied Lilliko, dragging Adamu out of the store. "You should have seen the way she posed for him. So indecent." Misato blushed. Adamu was still blushing.  
  
"I found this great new restaurant in a corner of the mall." Announced Takoru. "Want to check it out?"  
  
They went over to the small restaurant and ordered. Suddenly Lilliko stood up. "I need to wash my hands." She said. "Where's the bathrooms?"  
  
Takoru got up. "I'll show you." they walked off, leaving Adamu and Misato alone.  
  
Misato smirked. "So, he's finally making a move on her." She said to herself. Adamu raised an eyebrow. He knew his sister's true intentions. He was neither going to spoil it, nor take advantage. He still had no clue why she wanted him and Misato to become a couple, but until he got a reason, he wasn't going to act.  
  
Suddenly Misato's phone rang. She opened it. "Yes?"  
  
"Misato, report to Central Dogma now." She got up, gave Adamu an apologetic smile, and said, "Sorry. I have to go. My turn to pilot." She gave him her portion of the bill and ran out.  
  
Outside, Takoru and Lilliko watched as Misato ran out. "What happened?" asked Lilliko. "My brother isn't that rude."  
  
Takoru shrugged. "Misato's a very flighty girl. She can change her mind the in blink of an eye."  
  
Lilliko snarled. "And we had this so perfectly planned out." She and Takoru had planned the entire day out before calling Misato.  
  
"Next time." Replied Takoru.  
  
She stood in the changing room examining herself in a mirror. Her plugsuit was.colorful. It was as if someone had taken a pair of scissors, cut up her parents' plugsuits, and stitched them together. The lower arms and legs were red, while the thighs were blue and the upper arms white. The chest was red spliced with vertical white lines, and the stomach and hips were red with blue. Her neural connectors were red. She flung her hair over her shoulder and walked out of the locker room to the cages. Unit 01 is still as ugly as ever, she thought, looking at the beast. They still hadn't gotten any restraints on it except for a clamp holding the jaws shut and the shoulder bindings.  
  
"Ready for your activation test?" asked Ritsuko. Misa nodded.  
  
"Are you going to put the rest of the restraints on?" she asked. Ritsuko shook her head.  
  
"It didn't work the first time. We're going to let it loose, see what kind of creature Lillith really was." Misa gulped. "It will be all right. We put a remote fuse between the Super Solenoid engine and the rest of the Eva. If something goes wrong we can shut it down."  
  
"If you say so." Misa climbed into the plug, waiting patiently as it filled with LCL. She didn't really need the stuff. As an Angel, she didn't even need to breathe, as her S2 engine didn't need oxygen. "Let them have their traditions." She sighed. She hated the taste of LCL. But supposedly it made linking to the Eva easier, so she waited as it filled her obsolete lungs.  
  
"Inserting entry plug." Announced Maya. "Pilot signs normal. Core pulse rate at 100."  
  
"How are you feeling?" asked Misato. Misa shrugged.  
  
"I feel a bit odd, godmother." She replied. "It feels familiar."  
  
"It should." Grinned Misato. "Your parents spent quite a bit of time in the plug. Remember, that was how we found out about you, Misa-chan."  
  
"Sync ratio at 67, rising." Announced Maya.  
  
"I can feel something." said Misa. "Another presence. It feels like." she trailed off, staring at the white figure before her.  
  
"You are the pilot?" it asked. "You have returned to me."  
  
"Sync ratio at 117 and climbing!" Maya shouted.  
  
Misato spun to face Makoto. "Any signs of an Angel?" he shook his head.  
  
"Nothing at all."  
  
They all looked up at the screen showing Misato. She was twitching, but they couldn't see why.  
  
Suddenly the clamp on Unit 01's jaw broke off. Its arm raised and reached out toward the bridge.  
  
"Stop that!" screamed Misa. Unit 01 froze. The figure disappeared. She was alone in the plug once more. Misa glanced around. No damage. Relieved, she lowered Unit 01's arm.  
  
"Did you see that?" she asked the people on the bridge.  
  
"See what?" asked Misato.  
  
"The thing, the white thing in my plug!" Misa exclaimed. "It said something, and then." she didn't know what happened next. She had heard the figure say something.and then Unit 01 was standing there with its arm stretched out. What had happened?  
  
"Eject plug." Ordered Misato. "I want a full examination of the pilot, the plug and Unit 01. Now!"  
  
AN: So, does that scene sound familiar? More unanswered questions, more odd references, more caffeine. I just realized that Lilliko is acting more like Misato (Sr.) than the Ep. 26 Rei. Oh well. Next time, Unit 15 comes, and we also get a glimpse of one of those seven mystery AT fields. Plus, the beginning of a rivalry, next time on Neon Genesis Evangelion, Fourth Impact. 


	13. Wings

I had something very important to say here.I have completely forgotten what it was. Layra-chan's probably going to hit me for that. In case you haven't noticed, when both Misatos are present, Misato jr. will be referred to as Misa or Misa-chan, while the older Misato will remain Misato. Anyway, now for Unit 15 and many more unanswered questions.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or any of its derivatives. These belong to Hideaki Anno and Gainax.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 12: Wings  
  
"Time for the ultimate test." Said Lilliko. "Are you ready?" Misato glanced over at the blue-haired girl. She nodded. Lilliko put one finger against the breast of her school-swimsuit and manifested her AT field in a spike on the tip of her finger. She slowly cut away at the suit to reveal her bright red core. "There." She said. "If the other girls are allowed to make slight adjustments to their swimsuits, so am I."  
  
Misato copied her, cutting a hole in her own suit. The girls at the school weren't allowed two-piece swimsuits, but they were allowed to take small portions out of it to allow for 'streamlining.' In her opinion, it was because the coach was a pervert.  
  
They stepped out into the pool enclosure, watching as the other girls pulled away from them. Their cores glinted in the sunlight, standing out against their black suits. "Race me?" asked Lilliko. Misato smirked.  
  
"You're on." Misato knew that she was the fastest swimmer in the class. She didn't have to breathe, and she almost never got tired. Lilliko shared the same advantages, though, so it would be interesting.  
  
They got into the pool, shivering as the cold water hit them. "On three."  
  
"One. Two-"  
  
"Ikari! Ayanami!" they spun around to see the coach standing above them. They both gave him their most innocent smiles and waited for the tirade.  
  
"What are you doing, destroying your swimsuits like that?" he demanded.  
  
Lilliko made her eyes as wide as she could. "Oh, coach, I always swim better with my core.exposed." She waited a moment to allow her statement to sink in. "The water rubbing against it, washing over it, feels so good." she rubbed her hand over her core, her fingers flicking across other things. The coach's eyes widened. Then he turned away.  
  
"Whatever. Just don't let me catch you making any more holes in your suits. They are school property." He walked off, visibly shaken.  
  
The two girls burst out laughing. "So," said Misato. "Shall we?" "Right. One, two, three!" they took off, neck and neck. Every few strokes one would glance over at the other, both of them thinking 'I wonder if she knows that I can go faster than this?' They reached the other side, touched, and spun around, racing back toward the front of the pool. "Let's take it up a notch!" shouted Lilliko. Misato nodded and took off in a burst of speed. Lilliko matched her.  
  
Takoru and Adamu watched from their spot near the roof of the gym. The boys were doing a rope course, giving several of them a perfect view of girls' swimming.  
  
"Misato's not even going half as fast as she can." Said Takoru.  
  
"Neither is Lilliko." Replied Adamu. Takoru shot him a glance.  
  
"How about we make a bet." He said. Adamu continued to watch the girls. "If Misato wins, you get me a date with your sister. If Lilliko wins, I'll get you a date with Misato."  
  
"I don't want a date with Misato." Replied Adamu. Takoru's eyes widened.  
  
"You don't want a date with Misato?" he asked, "How can you not? She's the hottest thing in the school, she's smart, she's talented. I mean, if I didn't think of her as a sister, I'd go out with her in a minute!"  
  
Adamu shrugged, a difficult feat considering that he was hanging by one hand from the ropes.  
  
Misato and Lilliko both hit the end of the pool at the same time. The bell rang. "I could have gone faster." Misato told the blue-haired girl.  
  
"So could I." Replied Lilliko to the redhead.  
  
They changed out of their swimsuits and back into their normal school uniforms. Swimming was the last class of the day, so they met Takoru and Adamu outside and they began walking home.  
  
Then the Angel alert went out. Adamu spun and began running toward NERV. This time Misato kept up with him. "My turn." She said with a grin.  
  
At NERV, she changed into her plugsuit and got into Unit 01. Adamu was already in Unit 18, dressed in his black plugsuit.  
  
"Launch Evas!" The two units flew up to the surface.  
  
All they could see of Unit 15 was a huge pair of feathery wings seemingly attached to a point.  
  
"Is that it?" asked Misa.  
  
Misato nodded. "We don't know what it is capable of, so be careful."  
  
The two Evas picked up pallet guns from the racks beside them and moved forward carefully.  
  
"Sync ratios both at 100 even." Announced Maya. "Both pilots have increased core pulse rates. Brainwave activity normal."  
  
Misato turned to Ritsuko, who was looking over Maya's shoulder. "Are you sure that it's alright to let Unit 01 out on sortie without restraints?" The scientist turned to her.  
  
"Misato, if the restraints didn't work before, then we're not going to waste the effort to put them on again. We do have the failsafe on the Super Solenoid engine."  
  
Misato grinned. "But it's so ugly." Ritsuko rolled her eyes.  
  
"Stop acting like your namesake and start acting like the Commander of NERV."  
  
Misa watched as the Angel lazily flapped its wings. "Any ideas?" she asked.  
  
"Wait for orders." Replied Adamu. She growled. She didn't like waiting for orders.  
  
"I'm going to get closer." She told him, and began to bound forward. She ignored his calls for her to wait and continued toward the Angel.  
  
She could barely make out a triangular body between the wings. Suddenly a bunch of black points filled her view.  
  
She screamed as ten spikes pierced her Eva.  
  
"We have damage to the chest region!" shouted Shigeru. "The core was missed, but the S2 is fluctuating."  
  
"Adamu!" shouted Misato. "Fire!" Unit 18 opened fire, running forward.  
  
Unit 01 fell back. Unit 19's AT field appeared just as another round of spikes flew at them.  
  
Adamu began to drag Unit 01 back toward the catapults. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as the Angel shot more spikes at them. His AT field was holding, but he couldn't keep it up forever.  
  
"OW!" Misa shouted, and stopped screaming. "That is going to leave a mark." Adamu turned to face the Eva.  
  
"Are you all right?" Unit 01 pulled out of his arms and stood up.  
  
"I'm a bit irritated, but otherwise I'm fine." She began to pull the spikes out of her body. Adamu's eyes widened as the spikes came out to reveal pockets of orange light. "Don't worry, I managed to get my AT field up in time. I was just really upset."  
  
The Angel flapped its wings twice and took off into the air.  
  
"Return to the Cages." Misato said wearily.  
  
Misa looked down at the bruises on her chest. "Stupid Angel." She muttered. "If I ever get my hands on you, I'll show you not to mess with me."  
  
"You're sounding more like your mother every day." Said Ritsuko, shaking her head. "Just be glad that you got your AT field up. Those spikes did quite a bit of damage to the Eva."  
  
"I poked those holes in." said Misa. "I was too surprised to hold my field steady. But I'll get it next time."  
  
Misato walked in. "We hope so. That Angel is hovering several kilometers above us, and we have no way to reach it."  
  
"What about." she trailed off. Arael was something she couldn't mention. Not after what it did to her mother.  
  
"We lost the Lance during Impact." Replied Ritsuko. "So far all we have is the positron gun, but the power systems currently up aren't enough to power it."  
  
"A dilemma." Misato helped Misa to her feet. "If only we could get wings on an Eva, like the Eva series."  
  
"We don't have that kind of technology here." Ritusko sighed. "SEELE held all of that secret from us."  
  
Misato sighed. "Misa-chan, go back to school, all right? We have a lot of work to do."  
  
Kaoru looked around, worried. He'd lost the signal in the crowd. He glanced down. There it was. He blinked. A five-year old girl holding a balloon filled his vision. She was giggling happily, without any sign of her parents anywhere. He watched as a ripple went through the air around her. An orange ripple. She had an AT field, but she was definitely human. 'They aren't supposed to have their fields up yet. It's only been sixteen years since Impact.' He thought to himself before flying away.  
  
Misato sat down next to Lilliko. "What happened?" she asked. Misato gingerly touched her chest.  
  
"I was hit by a bunch of spikes." She replied. "The Angel is gone now, several kilometers up, and we have no way to reach it."  
  
"So what are we going to do?" asked Lilliko. Misato shrugged.  
  
"Wait until Ritsuko finds out enough to put together some wings." Misato glanced out the window. "We are a bit short on Lances."  
  
Adamu sat down on the other side of Misato and stared out the window. In the distance he could see the faint black dot that was the Angel.  
  
"A yen for your thoughts?" asked Misato.  
  
"My thoughts are worth more than that." He replied. Misato pouted and turned back to Lilliko.  
  
"Your brother can be a real jerk sometimes." She said, making sure that Adamu could hear her.  
  
Lilliko shrugged. "He could be waiting for something. Did you remember to thank him for yesterday?" Misato blinked and turned back to Adamu.  
  
"Thank you for saving me yesterday." She said to him. "It was really sweet."  
  
He continued to stare out the window. She fumed.  
  
"What, are you expecting me to fling myself on you like some dumb story- book damsel and kiss you senseless?" she demanded.  
  
"Possibly." Came the quite reply.  
  
He suddenly found Misato's face centimeters away from his. She was grinning evilly. His eyes widened involuntarily. She grabbed his nose, clamping it shut, and slammed her lips onto his. All he could think of was.wow.  
  
She pulled back reluctantly and returned to her seat, grateful that the teacher still hadn't shown up. She blinked several times and frowned slightly. "Mother's going to kill me for doing that."  
  
It was a sunny day, a beautiful day with warm temperatures, a slight breeze, and an empty sky.except for the Angel. Misato wandered lazily through the park, enjoying the view, when her phone rang. "Misa-chan?" came Misato Sr.'s voice. "We've got the wings ready."  
  
AN: Must.stop.laughing. I don't even remember how many references and jokes I've put in so far. I know that I've already referred to that scene already, but I couldn't help it. Now all I have to do is figure out what kind of wings the Eva will have, and what the fight will be like. Then I have to figure out how to get rid of the wings, as I need the Evas land-bound as a plot device. Hm. The little girl will be mentioned again later, I don't know how. The rivalry will become more full blown when the carnival comes up, don't ask, I thought of that literally as I was writing this sentence. Talk about spur of the moment. See you next time. 


	14. Falling

First off, Thanx Keyblade. Really appreciated your review. I would have liked to have done more with Shinji and Asuka, but this story will center around the children.um, the new Children. I might do a bit about what happened right after Third Impact though.  
  
Disclaimer: xaniaG dna onnA ikaediH yb denwo era sevitavired sti fo lla dna noilegnavE siseneG noeN. You all know what that says.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 13: Falling  
  
Misa stared at Unit 01. Unit 01 stared back at her. She blinked. It didn't.  
  
"What is that?" she demanded.  
  
"Wings." Replied Ritsuko. "Or as close as we could get it. Now get suited up. We need to take this Angel as soon as possible."  
  
Misa ran to the changing room and got into her plugsuit. Climbing into the entry plug, she began to feel a tugging on her back as the neural connections went up.  
  
"Sync ratio at 68." Said Maya. "The nerves on her shoulders are acting up. Brainwave activity normal, core pulse rate at 120." (AN: about the core pulse rate, I thought that perhaps an Angel's core corresponds to the human heart, so therefore a heartbeat would be like a pulse rate from the core or something.)  
  
"Launch Eva!" Unit 01 shot up through the tunnels and into the air. The thrusters on its back flared into life. Misa screamed.  
  
"That hurts!" she yelled, not caring that there weren't any audio links. "Stupid piece of-"  
  
She stopped as the Angel came into view. The thrusters slowed. A pair of bat-like wings snapped out from Unit 01's back. Misa watched as the world began to tilt. "What is happening?" she asked.  
  
"Misa-chan!" came Misato's voice. "You have to steady yourself with the wings."  
  
"How?" the pilot asked, still tilting. She could hear a bit of conversation on the other end of the link, then some swearing.  
  
"Can't help you there." Replied Misato. "No one here has wings."  
  
Misa sighed. "Idiots." She concentrated on moving toward the Angel. She finally got a good look at it. Between the two wings was an Eva's torso and head, the wings connecting to where the arms would have been. Ten tubes stuck out of the chest, with the core in the middle. Then it saw her.  
  
Misato paced back and forth, watching the screen. Unit 01 was still tilting to the side, but it was getting closer to the Angel. The screen was getting fuzzy as the connection to Unit 01 got weaker and weaker. Then the Angel turned. "Misa-chan!" shouted Misato. "Get in there and kill it before it attacks!"  
  
"~ ~" Misa's reply came in garbled.  
  
Misa suddenly pulled upward as a round of spikes came at her. She flung up her AT field and pushed against.something. Her wings started flapping and she managed to dodge the spikes. Then she came down again, heading straight for the Angel's core. The Angel spun away from her and launched another round of spikes. She barely managed to shift her field in time to block before the Angel moved again. Now it was behind her.  
  
"Stop moving and face me!" she shouted. Then a searing pain lashed through her shoulder. She screamed as the spike tore through her wing. Spinning she grabbed her Progressive knife and launched herself straight at the Angel. Another spike hit her other wing, but still she flew forward.  
  
"Stop that!" she screamed, ignoring the pain and coming up against Unit 15's spike-tubes. She slammed the Knife onto the Angel's core, but the tubes held her too far away to pierce it.  
  
"Stupid Angel!" She scraped at the core with her Knife, using her other hand to try and bend the tubes. Another round of spikes shot through her. Finally she twisted and plunged the Knife into the Angel's core. It screamed in pain, sounding for a moment like a small boy in agony. But before Misa could think about it, the Angel exploded.  
  
The people on the bridge gasped as the sky filled with light. Suddenly Adamu's voice came over the audio link. "I'm going to try and catch her." He told them. "When you calculate where she's going to land, launch me."  
  
Misato could only mumble an affirmative. The techies were immediately working, trying to find the remains of Unit 01. What they found was a blackened bulk, wings shredded and thruster blowing smoke. It hadn't begun to fall yet. It floated alone in the air for a long moment, tilting backwards as if in slow motion. Then it fell.  
  
The Eva fell like a rag doll, its limbs flailing upward as they followed its body. The tatters of its wings flapped in the rush of air around it and smoke billowed out around it.  
  
"She's going to hit Tokyo 2!" announced Shigeru.  
  
"Launch Adamu." Ordered Misato. "And muster all the planes nearby to help slow her fall." People began to scramble about. "We need something more than this, otherwise Unit 18's going to end up flattened."  
  
The link to Misa opened up again. "I did it!" Misa was shouting. "I beat that Angel all by myself!" she was laughing, oblivious to the fact that she was plunging toward the ground. "I beat the Angel! I beat the Angel!"  
  
"Misa-chan!" shouted Misato. "Get yourself together! You're falling!"  
  
"I-" Misa's victory chant was interrupted by realization. "I'm what?!" she glanced down to see clouds hurtling past her. She could feel the air rushing over Unit 01's skin, over the holes left by the spikes. "Damn, damn, damn-"  
  
"Adamu's going to try and catch you but we need you to slow yourself." Misato told her. The thruster coughed, the wings flapped uselessly. Misa tugged at the controls trying to at least right herself, but to no avail. Unit 01 continued to fall headfirst like a brick.  
  
'Stay call, Misato, stay calm.' She told herself. "This is going to hurt, isn't it." Misa could see Unit 18 running on the ground. She flung up an AT field behind her, trying to slow down, but it wasn't working. She gulped.  
  
She could feel pinpricks as planes latched onto Unit 01 and tried to slow her down. "Don't look down, don't look down." She repeated to herself over and over. "Don't look down-" she looked down to see the remains of Tokyo 2 flying toward her in a blur. She bit back a scream. By now she could clearly feel the wind as she fell. She felt one of the wings tear off, followed by the other. They caught on her arms for a moment, then ripped and flew off, their lesser density keeping them aloft above the falling Eva.  
  
They say that you can see your entire life flash before your eyes before you die. All she was seeing were the clouds flying past her and the remains of her wings receding into the distance. "Does that mean that I'm not going die?" she asked.  
  
Unit 01 twisted around to face the ground. She looked down again against her will. Unit 18 was right below her, as were many buildings and concrete streets. She shut her eyes, grateful that she didn't have a stomach and thus couldn't get nauseas.  
  
For a split second she could hear Adamu telling her to be calm. She couldn't hear anything else from the wind screaming in her ears, but it sounded as if he was right next to her.  
  
She opened her eyes for a moment, then shut them hastily as she saw Unit 18 only a few dozen meters below her. The ground zoomed up and  
  
BLAM!  
  
Misa opened her eyes to nothing but black. "Am I dead?" she asked herself. Wait, she could see the rest of the plug. The black was outside, and bore the number 18 on the left.  
  
"Oh, that's right." She said. "Unit 18 is black." She groaned. She was covered in bruises, even worse than when she had been hit with the spikes. It felt like her arm was broken. Correction, it felt like her arms, legs and neck were broken.  
  
She passed out moments before Misato's voice came over the speakers.  
  
"Misa-chan? Misa-chan!"  
  
She woke up to see an unfamiliar ceiling. "Where am I?" she asked.  
  
"NERV hospital." Came the reply from her right. She turned to see her father.  
  
"Hey daddy." She looked around. "So this is where you spent most of 2015." He grimaced.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked her. She nodded.  
  
"I'll be fine when my S2 kicks in." she said. "Please tell me that you brought some food." He nodded and pulled up a cart. "Oh, great, hospital food." She sat up gingerly and groaned in pain. Shinji leaned forward and laid her back down, deciding to feed her instead.  
  
"Stop that, I can eat on my own." She told him weakly. He continued to feed her. "How's Adamu?"  
  
"He's a bit shaken up." Replied her father. "Most of the damage was to the two Evas. They'll both be out for a week at least."  
  
She sighed. "That was fun," she said softly, "but the ending could have been better."  
  
Misato watched as Unit 01 was lowered into the cages. It was damaged all over, its left arm broken, its legs mangled, and spikes stuck out all over its body. Its right arm was twisted at a ridiculous angle, and its face was flattened. It was still grinning, though. Unit 18 was still imbedded in the street, where it had been crushed in after sliding seven blocks by Unit 01. She stifled a smile. Adamu had actually cursed while getting out of the plug. She hadn't known the boy long, but she suspected that he had his mother's personality, or lack of it. The thought of Rei cursing was definitely laughable. "I need a beer."  
  
Adamu lay on the hospital bed staring at the ceiling. A bandage was wrapped around his head, and his arm was in a sling. His other arm was covered in bandages. His lower body was a wreck. Lilliko sat beside him, laughing. "I swear, it looked like they were kissing!" she said.  
  
"Lilliko, for the last time, we were not making the Evas kiss." Adamu replied. "She just landed on me like that."  
  
"Oh, of course." Replied Lilliko. "Unit 01 is lying on top of Unit 18, with Unit 18's arms wrapped around Unit 01, their mouths are open and pressed against each other, of course that's not kissing. She just landed on you like that." Lilliko continued to laugh.  
  
AN: okay, I don't know why I just wrote that last bit, with the /not/ kissing Evas. I was bored. It's too hot to stay indoors, it's too rainy to go outside, I'm to hyper to go to sleep, and Layra-chan is jumping up and down demanding another lollipop. Story of my life. On a lighter note. Live Action Eva! OMG! WTF! They gave Unit 00 a lower jaw! And that picture of Unit 01 without the restraints!.I sound like Layra-chan. Not good. Whack! Thud. *DreyonLegacy waits for Layra-chan to bounce away, then gets up, rubbing head.* If the chapters seem a bit short, it's because I'm trying desperately to outrun writer's block. It sort of helps that I don't have an ideas were I'm going, because then I don't have to come up with reasons why something should happen, but I also have no goals to work towards. Sorry to say, but something *cough-Layra-chan-cough* is urging me to kill off one of the main characters. Suggestions? Ideas? Rejections? I'm also going to attempt a love triangle at some point, but I'm not telling you who is in it yet. No, you do not have any idea, no matter what you think. I mean, I don't even have any idea at this point, how can you? 


	15. Carnival and Lights

Layra-chan here. I get to write this chapter because it involves a carnival, and carnivals mean cotton candy, which means SUGAR! And carnivals mean rides, which mean roller coasters, which mean nausea and stumbling around trying not to look drunk! And carnivals mean games, which mean prizes, which mean STUFFED ANIMALS! All of my specialties. Mostly I get to write this chapter because I hit Drey-chan too hard and he can't see straight, but that's beside the point. Now, some of you may be wondering, how can crazy, sugar-high psycho with a no-track mind like me possibly add to DreyonLegacy's glorious work? I don't know, he's going to hurt me as soon as he finds out what I did to his fic, and most importantly, There's no one who can stop me!  
  
Disclaimer: Do you think I would get in trouble if I skipped this one? I mean, would Gainax come after me if I forgot to say that they owned Neon Genesis Evangelion? I'll find out in a few days, then, eh?  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 14: Carnivals and Lights  
  
"Are you sure you want to wear that?" Adamu asked his sister. "It is a tad."  
  
"Provocative?" Lilliko supplied. "Noticeable? Scene-stealing?"  
  
"I was thinking tight and short," replied Adamu. Lilliko looked down at her kimono. Or at least the slightly-too-small piece of flower-patterned cloth that passed as a kimono.  
  
"Of course." Said Lilliko. "I want to make a good impression at the carnival after all."  
  
He sighed. She smiled at him. "How sweet, your overprotective older brother instincts are kicking in."  
  
Rolling his eyes, he replied, "despite the fact that I'm younger than you by an hour."  
  
Misato glanced around, then saw Lilliko's blue kimono flashing in the sun. "Lilli-kun!" she called out. Lilliko turned to face her.  
  
"Misa-chan!" The two girls ran over to each other, noting how scandalous the other's kimono was. "I've got my brother along. Want to torture him?"  
  
Misato looked over to where Adamu was standing, bored in green and black. She grinned.  
  
"There is a ride over toward the back. They only open it once a year because it's so dangerous." She told Lilliko. "My mother said that she helped build it, and my father freaks out every time he sees it. Let's see if he can take it."  
  
"I've piloted an Eva." Replied Adamu. "I can take it." Misato grinned.  
  
"It's your skull." She replied. She led them over to the ride. A pair of columns rose high into the sky from the middle of the ground. They extended far down into a huge hole too deep to see the bottom of. A group of riders were strapped onto a contraption on one of the columns. "It's called the Abyss."  
  
Adamu peered at the ride. "This is an old Eva catapult, isn't it." He said. Misato nodded.  
  
"They've modified it so that it goes just as fast down as it go up." She told them. "And if you're brave enough, they strap you in upside down."  
  
The trio heard screams as the catapult rocketed downwards into the hole. Several tense seconds later, more screams were heard as the catapult flew back up, coming to an abrupt halt at the top of the other column. The riders hung in the air for about a minute, then suddenly fell again, coming to a stop at ground level.  
  
"And the best part is that you can see everything." Said Misato. "You can see the ground rushing up at you, the walls flying past as you descend into the darkness. I've only been on it a few times, but I need to go on it again." Lilliko and Adamu were staring at the Abyss. "Of course, if you two are too scared to go on it, that's fine with me."  
  
Lilliko looked down at Misato. "Count me in." She grabbed her brother's hand and the three of them got into the short line.  
  
Before they knew it, it was their turn. Misato insisted that they all get in upside-down. As soon as they were strapped in they were flying upwards, the two girls screaming wildly. Adamu didn't scream, as he didn't see the point of doing so. He thought it made them look stupid.  
  
They slammed into the top of the left tower, the sudden stop jarring the three of them. In the brief moment of respite, Adamu could hear Lilliko say to Misato, "I bet I can scream louder than you." Adamu groaned silently. He just had to be put in between them.  
  
"You're on!" shouted Misato, and the two began screaming as the ride went back down.  
  
His ears began to hurt as the ride shot through the catapult tunnels, weaving and twisting underground, then coming back up on the other tower. They slammed to halt again. They stayed there, forty stories above the ground, looking down at the specks below them. And then they fell. Back through the tunnels, through sections of light and dark, through twists and turns and past old wreckages. Back into the light, back into the air, another abrupt halt, and then the final descent. (AN: Okay, who /doesn't/ want to go on that? I mean, an Eva catapult turned into a ride! How much fun is that!)  
  
Adamu tapped at his ears slightly as he got off. His sister and Misato were both laughing maniacally. "That was so much fun!" Lilliko exclaimed. "I want to pilot now!"  
  
Misato grinned. "Adamu? Do you have anything to say?"  
  
"Interesting." He said quietly.  
  
"Interesting?" she asked.  
  
"We accelerating faster than the acceleration of gravity almost the entire time." He explained.  
  
Misato rolled her eyes and muttered, "Weirdo," to Lilliko.  
  
They wandered around the carnival, visiting the stalls, buying way too much candy, and generally having fun at Adamu's expense.  
  
Then she saw it. A big purple stuffed bear, with big blue eyes and a red heart on its tummy. It was holding a balloon in one hand and had an adorable little hat on its head. (AN: Kawaii!) As she got closer, she realized that it was huge, almost as big as her. "I want that bear!" she exclaimed.  
  
Adamu watched as his sister and his new friend stared at each other after shouting in unison. They began to bicker over who should get the chance to win the bear. He rolled his eyes. It was only a stuffed bear. (AN: Bad Adamu. "Only a stuffed bear." Hmph.)  
  
"I am willing to win that bear for one very special girl." Announced Takoru's voice. Both Misato and Lilliko turned to him. "Any takers?"  
  
Lilliko was the first to reach him. "Win it for me?" she begged, giving him big, watery doe-eyes. "Please?"  
  
Misato pushed her out of the way. "Please, Takoru-kun? I've been your friend since we were infants. Win it for me?"  
  
Takoru glanced over at Adamu and winked mischievously. "I'll do it for.a kiss." Both girls pulled back.  
  
"Pervert!" exclaimed Misato.  
  
Lilliko grinned. "Unlike Misa-chan, I have less scruples." She pulled Takoru into a fervent kiss, knocking the wind out of him. She pulled back, smiling evilly as the stunned Takoru got his bearings. "Now win me that bear."  
  
Takoru sauntered over to the stand, picked up the ball, and hurled it at the target. A perfect hit. He grabbed the next ball and hurled.  
  
Misato glared at him. How dare that girl steal her best friend away from her. She frowned as Takoru hit the third target, accepted the prize, and gave it to squealing Lilliko.  
  
Lilliko stuck her tongue out at Misato. "You need to loosen up." She said to Misato. Misato glared at her. Then she smiled.  
  
"And that's why my Angel count is 1 to your 0." She replied. Lilliko's smirk faded. She shoved the bear into Takoru's arms and stomped over to Misato.  
  
"You and me, one on one." Said Lilliko in a deathly quiet voice. "Every game here."  
  
Misato nodded. "You're on." (AN: Cat-fight! Cat-fight! Get your tickets while they last!)  
  
They battled all over the carnival, from the ring-toss to the go-carts to dancing, to even who could eat more candy. By the time the sun began to set the both of them were stuffed, tired, and more than a little confused.  
  
"What haven't we done?" said Misato, sounding a bit drunk. The two boys followed the girls, dragging their cart of prizes behind them. Suddenly everything went black. Lights began to appear around the stalls. The four of them looked around in awe as the lights flared into life everywhere. Lights of every color, from candles to small torches to little lamps appeared. Then a single word lit up huge above everything else.  
  
"KARAOKE!"  
  
(AN: Drey-chan's really going to hurt me now. He might even take away my candy *shudder*)  
  
Misato got to the stage first, grabbing the microphone and waiting for the song selection. She grinned when she saw what it was.  
  
The music started out soft and slow, a gentle tune from a harp.  
  
"It was a sunny day in heaven, Bright, and warm and infinitely fine, It was glorious and beautiful, But down here we had." The lights flared. A loud drumbeat roared into life behind the harp along with a rippling guitar. Misato's red kimono caught the glare and shot it out at the audience.  
  
"Fire! Flame! Inferno! Burning! Destruction! The screaming fury of the beast, Fire! Flame! Inferno! Chaos! And Light! And the power of Life and Death."  
  
She grinned as she manifested her AT field, too weak to be noted consciously but spreading a red-orange tinge across the lights.  
  
"And it was a cloudy day in hell,  
Dark and cold and infinitely harsh  
It was deadly and disgusting,  
But up here we had.  
  
Fire! Flame! Inferno!  
Energy! Heat! The elemental roar,  
Fire! Flame! Inferno!  
Light! And Chaos! And the power of Life and Death."  
  
She watched as the crowd stood mesmerized. She loved this song. It reminded her of her mother. She didn't want to admit it, but she was also a bit over- fond of fire. (AN: Fire! Woohoo! Fire!)  
  
She spun back and forth across the stage, showing off to the crowd. She glanced at Adamu, who was staring at her. She smirked.  
  
".And that was just another day on Earth."  
  
She stepped down from the stage and handed the microphone to Lilliko, listening to the clapping. Lilliko graciously accept the mike and smiled her approval.  
  
This time the music started out with a quick dance beat that had everyone clapping in time with it. She didn't know the song, but the beat spoke to her as if telling her everything it knew. She stood absolutely still, listening as the lights flashed on and off.  
  
"All my life they said slow down  
All my life they said take a minute to breathe  
All my life they said that you can stop whenever you want  
But I'm still going at more than top speed."  
  
She began to move sensuously, still standing in one place.  
  
"I can't think of the past  
can't think of the future, just now.  
I live for the moment when I'm on the edge of the cliff."  
  
She moved to the edge of the stage, posing as if she were about to leap onto the crowd. Suddenly she pulled back as the beat sharpened and the lights all focused on her.  
  
"I live my life on the edge  
In the center of the dance-floor,  
I live for the moment,  
When I can be me,  
The beat of the music to the beat of my heart  
To the beat of the world.  
And I fall."  
  
She began to dance, dirty club dancing that fit the pounding music perfectly.  
  
She caught a glimpse of Takoru as she went into a low contortionist dip. He was gaping at her. It was funny watching him as the lights flashed on and off around her, total blackness one moment, the sight of the boy staring her the next.  
  
She finished up the song, tossed the mike to the host and flung herself off the stage, screaming, "Life on the edge!" A bunch of people caught her and she crowd surfed for a minute, then was set down on her feet. She swished over to her friends.  
  
"So," she asked the group. "Who was better, me or Misa-chan?"  
  
"Do you really expect me to answer that?" asked Takoru. "I mean, both of you are well within slapping range of me, and I don't want to get hurt."  
  
The girls glanced at Adamu. He didn't answer.  
  
AN: So, ppls, how was that? Any good? I tried to push the rivalry into ridiculousness. If I didn't get there, I'll get there with the omake. The songs "Fire, Flame, Inferno," and "Life on the Edge" are owned by.guess who. That's right, /not/ yours truly! They belong to, of all people, Drey- chan! Really! I'm not kidding! He made them up specifically for the inevitable karaoke contest that would have to appear in this fic somewhere. For the entire songs.wait a few months, by then he might have actually finished them. Buy the as-yet non-existent CD.Um, it doesn't have a name yet. Oh well, *pouts*  
  
The Omake will be a bit dirty, so be warned.  
  
Omake: "What haven't we done?" said Misato, sounding a bit drunk.  
  
Lilliko, sounding even drunker, said, "I bet I'm better in bed than you are."  
  
"You're on." Replied Misato. "Takoru!" they grabbed the helpless boy and dragged him away into the darkness. Adamu went and got quietly drunk. Wait, he has an S2. How can he get drunk?  
  
The next day Takoru appeared late at school. He was limping, his arm hung uselessly, and his clothing was bloodstained. He was covered in bandages, and countless small cuts lined any unclothed skin. "Class-representative," said the teacher worriedly. "What happened?"  
  
"Angel attack." He replied, and fainted.  
  
The two girls never spoke to each other again, and Takoru became a celibate monk. And Adamu laughed his ass off at them.inside. He was still an emotionless jerk on the surface.  
  
AN: well, that was fun. Sorry to everyone I offended with that, but it seemed like possibly the ultimate battlefield for two insecure adolescent girls. I certainly went/am going through that stage. Uh-oh, Drey-chan got out of the cage-I mean woke up again. I have to go. 


	16. Two Little Girls

*Finishes tying straight-jacket on Layra-chan. Ties gag, goes over to computer* I can't believe she actually wrote that. It's a good thing Takoru only /thinks/ of Misato as a sister. Gah! I just realized: muse tied up = no muse = writer's block! *Unties gag, dodges fangs. Ignores crocodile tears* There we go. She's a lot of trouble but she is my muse. Thanx again Keyblade. The image is in Newtype USA July issue, but I'm sure you can find it in the Japanese version as well. It's the orange-yellowish picture of the Eva immersed in LCL. You can't really tell that it's Unit 01 right off the bat, but it's got the horn, and it definitely isn't wearing anything. Anyway, I've got a bit of an idea where this is going, and yes, before you ask, or possibly several chapters after you asked, there is going to be a Fourth Impact.  
  
Disclaimer: I liked what I did for the disclaimer in chapter 13. I still don't own Neon Genesis Envagelion, that still belongs to Gainax (big surprise)  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 15: Two Little Girls  
  
The next day Takoru appeared early at school as usual, at least several minutes before everyone else. Basking in the relative quiet, he unpacked his stuff for the day and sat down. Soon the quiet started getting on his nerves. His home was never quiet, not with three younger siblings, not to mention his father. He often spent his time in very noisy places. School was usually very noisy, so he treasured the rare bits of silence that he got before class. He always hated the silence after a minute or so. Fortunately for him, other students started piling into the classroom soon after. Many of the students were discussing what they had done the day before. Takoru would rather not have thought about how his plan to get Lilliko to go out with him had backfired as she and Misato got into a contest with one another.  
  
The teacher started droning on Third Impact, and as usual Takoru laughed inwardly at how little he actually knew on the subject. Other than a few people, no one knew anything past seeing a little girl with blue hair appear, then suddenly washing up on shore some time later. Those few people in the know were the ones connected to NERV.  
  
FallenAngel: So, Takoru, care to give us your opinion now that we're too far away to hurt you?  
  
Joker: Sorry, but Lilliko will start throwing paper at me again if I say anything. I'd rather not have to explain to the teacher why I have her homework crumpled up on my desk.  
  
SugarHigh: I promise not to throw anything at you.  
  
Joker: Really?  
  
He turned to see her giving him a very innocent and fake smile.  
  
Joker: Fine. Personally, I liked Lilliko's performance better. Sorry Misato, but it's true. However, I know that Adamu was riveted to you during your performance, and was rather upset during Lilliko's.  
  
Ayanami2: I was not.  
  
FallenAngel: Really, Adamu? Riveted? How sweet.  
  
Adamu signed off and turned back to stare out the window. He could hear the teacher droning at the front of the classroom, and faint giggling coming from his sister. He could also hear that heartbeat, still steady, still going strong. 'Whose heart is that?' he wondered. He had heard it for the past four years, but had no idea what it was. None of his family could give him any answers. It wasn't exactly annoying, in fact, it was almost soothing, something that he could count on.  
  
After school the four of them wandered around Tokyo 4, chatting. At least, Misato and Takoru chatted, while Adamu listened and Lilliko inserted lewd comments. They eventually found themselves on a grassy hill overlooking the city. "The view from here is so romantic." Remarked Lilliko. Misato nodded. "My parents came here a lot when they were going out." They relaxed on the hill for a while. Suddenly Adamu stood up.  
  
"I can feel an AT field somewhere in the city." He told them. They rushed down the hill.  
  
  
  
Unit 16 waited as the desert winds whipped around it. Its single eye stared east toward its goal, unheeding of the grating sand that the winds kicked up. It could feel the futile efforts of the humans to dislodge it from its perch on the cliff. It ignored them, as they had ignored her. They had ignored her screams, her pain, and only concentrated on the activation of the Eva. She had been the only one to care for it, only one to realize what it was.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
"This is it?" she asked. "Why is it that color?" It could hear her voice, see her standing in front of it, but did not understand. Who was this intruder into its solitude? "It looks like blood."  
  
She was small, almost too small to see. A tiny creature, but somehow a reassuring presence. "You're not really just a robot, are you. You're alive, just like me."  
  
Then she was inside it, a comforting feeling. Unit 16 felt the need to protect this human, for reasons it couldn't even turn into conscious thought.  
  
It could see her looking up at it, so small yet so kind. She was the only one that ever talked to it, ever even bothered to look at it face to face. "You look sad. I feel sorry for you, locked up like this. Perhaps after the activation I can take you out and show you the world."  
  
Then, it happened. She screamed as pain flashed through her. Agony shot across their link, infusing her pain into Unit 16's body. Her presence within it was fading, but their link was getting stronger. It could hear sirens around it, could feel its body awakening. But she was fading. "Unit.16." she was gone.  
  
~End flashback~  
  
She had been lost, and Unit 16 vowed to take revenge by restarting Instrumentality. It would end Humanity, and perhaps then they would bring her back. Inside an empty plugsuit floated in the LCL.  
  
Kaoru stopped as the boy turned to face him. "You're one of them." The boy accused him. "One of Adam's Chosen." Kaoru didn't answer. "We are Lillith's Chosen, and we will not be stopped by obsolete failures like you."  
  
"And what will you not be stopped from?" Kaoru asked. The boy's eyes met his. Blood red looked into pitch black.  
  
"The true evolution of mankind."  
  
  
  
Lilliko spotted a little girl standing in the middle of the street, holding a balloon and looking around in confusion. She was alone, a bemused smile on her face. Her yellow dress fluttered in the wind, the ribbons on her hat flailing.  
  
"Little girl," Lilliko said, "Why are you standing in the middle of the street? Where are your parents?"  
  
"I have no parents." The girl replied cheerfully. "I'm lost."  
  
"What's your name?" Lilliko asked her. The girl smiled shyly.  
  
"My name is Jenny. What's your name?"  
  
"Lilliko, we have to get her out of here." Said Adamu before Lilliko could answer. "The AT field is somewhere nearby."  
  
  
  
Unit 16 felt the humans pull away as its body began to change. The restraints cracked and fell away as its body grew longer and longer, its legs merging together. Blades shot out from its sides and its hands melted into crab-like pincers. Still it waited. Its turn had not yet arrived. There was another clouding its view of its goal.  
  
  
  
"Could you move a bit?" the girl asked Lilliko suddenly, "I need to get going." Her empty hand began to glow.  
  
  
  
"AT field!" shouted Makoto. "Blood pattern black!"  
  
"Do we have a visual?" asked Misato, putting down her beer and glancing at Makoto's screen.  
  
What they got was a picture of a little girl in a yellow dress and a frilly hat, a balloon in one hand, a rapidly growing fireball in the other.  
  
AN: This was one of the weirder chapters. I wrote a flashback for an Eva. At least now we have a reason for it going after Adam. Unfortunately, I'm running out of rogue Evas, so Lillith's Chosen will have to take over. That means less Eva battles, more battles between the Children and the Chosen using AT fields and special weaponry. It will be interesting, to me at least. What to do about Jenny? I tried to make her cute, but now I have to deal with her. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to make my villains less than completely demonic, so if you're looking for a fight between Absolute Good and Absolute Evil, I'm sorry. It's eight in the morning. Some people will ask, you're on vacation, why are you up so early? The answer: I'm not. I'm up late. 


	17. Jenny

Unfortunately, my life, what everyone I know considers my life, my insanity, my muse's insanity, and my inability to commit to projects are all coming together at cross-purposes. The result is a large amount of time with no ideas what-so-ever. So if the quality of the fic deteriorates, sorry. If it gets better, I'm going to ignore the implied insult and push forward.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion, its elements, or any of its derivatives. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes and has no commercial value. The elements of Neon Genesis Evangelion have been recreated in this fic without permission from any of their owners.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 16: Jenny  
  
"What is that?" Misato exclaimed as the fireball grew.  
  
"I need to see Adam." Said Jenny calmly, twirling the fireball on one finger. "The Light-giant told me so."  
  
She frowned suddenly. "I hope that it's not too inconvenient, but I'm going to make a hole right there." She said, pointing to where Lilliko was standing.  
  
Adamu suddenly stepped in front of her. "We can't allow that." He told her.  
  
"Just a small hole?" Jenny pleaded. "Please?"  
  
"We can't let you get to Adam. This world isn't ready for another Impact." Jenny looked like she was about to cry.  
  
"But-but-" she sobbed. She turned the fireball on him. "I don't like you." she said. "And neither does the Light-giant." Her finger twitched.  
  
"What's happening?" demanded Misato as the screen burst into static.  
  
"AT field readings are off the scale!" shouted Makoto. "That little girl has more power than an Eva!"  
  
The screen slowly fuzzed into a picture of Adamu, his AT field struggling against the fireball. The ball was now as big as a bus and was threatening to engulf the boy.  
  
"I need to see Adam." Repeated Jenny, turning to the others. "Could you move him?" she asked, as if talking about an offensive lawn-ornament.  
  
"Jenny," Lilliko demanded. "Who is this Light-giant?" Misa suddenly placed the reference. Adam had first appeared on Earth as a giant glowing humanoid thirty-two years ago. "I don't know, but the Light-Giant gave me the ability to do this," she gestured to the fireball. "Could you move him now? I really need to go see Adam." She gestured to Adamu.  
  
"Jenny," Misa knelt down next to her. She got the feeling that one of them would need to kill the girl, and the thought horrified her. Yes, this girl could manifest an AT field in the shape of a burning ball, but Misa could do some tricks with her own field. Just because someone had special powers.  
  
Misa's phone rang. She flung it at Takoru, who opened it. "Hello? Katsuragi- san? This is a really bad time for-"  
  
"Neutralize her, now!" shouted Misato. "She's tearing up the city!" Takoru spun around to see the street behind Adamu torn to shreds as the force from the fireball poured around Adamu's AT field.  
  
"Misato, Lilliko," Takoru shouted. "Get that girl under control before she destroys the city."  
  
Lilliko flung up her own AT field and launched it net-like at Jenny, but Jenny only glanced at her and the AT field was flung back. Lilliko caught it deftly and tried again.  
  
Jenny shot another fireball at Lilliko, knocking her down.  
  
(AN: I have no idea what's happening here, so if you've got questions, I don't have answers.)  
  
Misa flung up her own AT field behind Adamu in an attempt to stifle the damage. "Jenny, you have to stop this!"  
  
"I want to see Adam!" the girl shouted. "I want to see Adam!" Her hand clenched in childish rage, and both Adamu and Lilliko were knocked back. Jenny put a hand on Misa's cheek.  
  
"Will you take me to Adam?"  
  
"Stop this and I will take you to see Adam." Misa said, wondering how she would stop the girl if something happened.  
  
Immediately the fireballs ceased. Adamu got up while Lilliko lay moaning. "What are you doing, Misato?" he demanded. She hissed at him to be quiet and gathered Jenny in her arms.  
  
"We're going to see Adam. Only without making a hole in the street, all right?" Jenny nodded. Misa absently noticed that the balloon was gone.  
  
Takoru handed her phone back and Misa was greeted by Misato's indignant shouts. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
Misa smiled. "My mother was never any good at obeying orders." She replied. "Now, I'm taking this cute little girl to see Adam, and you're going to help. Once she sees Adam, maybe we can get some answers."  
  
Misato fumed, but Ritsuko put a calming hand on her shoulder. "We have to take this risk." Said Ritsuko. "Otherwise, how will we stop her?"  
  
Jenny squealed happily on the ride down into the Geofront. Misa continued to hold her, both for her safety and for the safety of everyone else.  
  
"Where's Adam?" asked the little girl as they exited the elevator. "When will I see Adam?" she sounded almost excited by the prospect.  
  
"Soon, Jenny." Misa reassured her.  
  
Asuka, Shinji and Rei were waiting for them as they entered NERV. "Who are you?" asked Rei.  
  
Jenny huddled into Misa's arms. "I'm Jenny." She said shyly. Misa was finding it hard to believe that this child could have created those fireballs and torn up the streets as she did.  
  
Then Jenny turned to face Shinji, her smile becoming confused. "You are sort of Adam, but not. Weird." She then turned to Rei. "And you are sort of Lillith. I don't understand."  
  
Rei's eyes widened. Shinji and Asuka just looked confused.  
  
Then Misato and Ritsuko caught up with them. "How can you be doing this?" Misato hissed. Misa matched her glare for glare.  
  
"I know that between us, me, Lilliko and Adamu can hold her back." She told her godmother. "Her powers are strong, but I know that she's tired and distracted. I remember being five-years-old myself."  
  
"It's going to take a few days to bring Adam out of cryostasis." Said Ritsuko. "In the mean time, you can stay here with us." Jenny nodded.  
  
"What are we going to do about her?" asked Misato. Ritsuko shrugged.  
  
"We can't really do anything at all." The scientist replied. "Her powers exceed that of the Children."  
  
"She fell asleep." Reported Misa, walking into the room. She turned to Misato and Ritsuko. "You aren't going to kill her, are you?" she asked them. The two adults glanced at each other.  
  
"We'll have to see what she wants with Adam." Ritsuko replied. "It could be harmless."  
  
Misato shot her a glare. "Ritsuko, we've both worked here long enough to know that nothing is harmless."  
  
"But she's only a five-year-old." Exclaimed Misa.  
  
"You almost blew down NERV when you were three." Ritsuko told her.  
  
Lilliko wandered in. "She runs out of power easily." She told them. "She doesn't have an S2, so she'll collapse after about a minute at full power." She tilted her head to the side. "Or at least, that's what Ibuki-san's data projections say."  
  
"So," Ritsuko leaned back against the wall, "What is she?"  
  
"She's one of Lillith's Chosen." Everyone turned to see Kaoru walk into the room. He looked battered, but still had that impudent grin on his face. "A child of Lillith gifted with the ability to manifest an the Light of the Soul," he frowned, "only without it being from her soul."  
  
Eyes widened around the room. "What?" seemed to be the general answer.  
  
"The Light of the Soul," Kaoru explained, "is what you Lillims call an AT field. Jenny, however, isn't manifesting a true AT field. It's something else."  
  
"The Light-giant." Said Misa suddenly. "She kept saying that the Light- giant gave her the power to do that."  
  
Misato's eyes slammed shut and she sat down abruptly. "Adam." She snarled.  
  
"But wait, if she's one of Lillith's Chosen," started Lilliko,  
  
"Adam's not the only one who can glow." Answered Kaoru, grinning. He too, began to glow faintly. "Anyone who has a powerful soul can do this."  
  
Misa watched Jenny as the little girl chased a butterfly around. "I can't kill her. I won't kill her."  
  
"Misa-san!" Jenny said suddenly. "Can we have lunch? I need to eat."  
  
Misa smiled. "All right." They found Shinji in the cafeteria waiting for them. "Don't eat the food here." He cautioned Jenny, holding out a tray covered with his own creations. "I think they lace it with LCL."  
  
Jenny giggled. "All right."  
  
They sat down and watched as Jenny tore into the food. Then Shinji drew his daughter aside.  
  
"I know what you're going through." He told her. She glanced at him. "Remember? Tabris?" She nodded. "I just hope that you don't have to suffer as I did."  
  
"I forgave you." said Kaoru, sitting down next to them. "And you forgave me. We're even." He smiled at Jenny, who gave him a big smile in return. Shinji sighed.  
  
"I know, but still, I couldn't help myself. I thought that I'd killed you." He put his head in his hands. Misa moved over to comfort him, but Kaoru got to him first.  
  
"Cheer up, Shinj." He said, embracing Shinji. "I'm still alive and well."  
  
"Remember who you're married to, idiot." They looked up to see Asuka standing over them. "I'd like my husband back, Fifth Child." Kaoru smiled and let go of Shinji. "And you'd better not start with my daughter, either."  
  
"All done." Said Jenny. They spun around to see her playing with her chopsticks.  
  
"Adam's ready." Announced Ritsuko. Jenny clapped her hands together excitedly.  
  
"I get to see Adam!" she shouted happily. Misa, Lilliko and Adamu exchanged glances. Today they would find out what was happening, possibly. Their parents were just as worried, though Asuka held onto her air of indifference and Kaoru continued to grin as always. Everyone thought that he knew something that they didn't.  
  
"Adam's this way." Ritsuko guided them deeper and deeper into the halls, avoiding going down more than single floor in one elevator trip and turning at every junction. Misa was getting very lost, and she had almost lived in NERV HQ all her life.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked herself.  
  
"Somewhere under the Geofront." Lilliko replied with a smile. Misa gave her a disgusted look. "What? It's true."  
  
"Shinji? Asuka? Rei?" Ritsuko asked. The three of them stepped forward. "Place your hands here and step up to the scanner." She gestured to three panels on the wall.  
  
"What's this?" asked Misa.  
  
"We made it so that Adam couldn't be accessed unless all three of the Children were present."  
  
Asuka spun to face her. "When? I don't remember this."  
  
Ritsuko smirked at her. "I had plenty of time to experiment while you were in the plugs."  
  
"Can we get on with this?" demanded Misato. She was really anxious to find out what that little girl wanted.  
  
The three Children placed their hands on the panels and looked into the scanner as it went over their retinal patterns. A door opened.  
  
Entering, they found themselves in a huge storage chamber similar to the Eva cages. In the middle of the cage a small black object suspended by metal beams. One by one the beams fell away until only one remained. The object seemed to unfold, revealing.  
  
"Adam." Jenny said softly. She squirmed out of Misa's arms and ran over to the edge of the platform.then off. She was running across emptiness toward Adam.  
  
Then she stopped, hovering. A fireball appeared in her hand, and the balloon suddenly manifested in the other.  
  
"What are you doing?" Misa screamed as the roar of the fireball filled the room.  
  
"I'm going to destroy Adam." Jenny said calmly. "For the true evolution of mankind."  
  
AN: What? Jenny's going to destroy Adam? What's happening? I don't understand! Even more importantly, how are they going to deal with Jenny? What will happen if she destroys Adam? Why is Kaoru smirking like that? More questions. More mysteries. And I'm just getting started. By the next few chapters I'm hoping to shed a bit of light on what's happening. Unfortunately, I currently have no idea what's going on, so the explanation might be a bit garbled. I'm hoping that I won't have to kill Jenny, but I just don't know. Before you give me any good ideas, I'm going to ignore most suggestions because I want this to be purely out of my head. I mean, suggestions are nice and all, and I really appreciate the attention, but I've got a bunch of things stuck in my head and I need to get them out before camp. Thanx. 


	18. Unit 16 and Lillith's Second Chosen

"For the true evolution of mankind" Gah! Sounds like something you'd hear on Shoujo Kakumei Utena. Aah! Weird memories.too much pink.it burns! Layra-chan: Fire? DreyonLegacy: No fire, just pink. Layra-chan: Ewwie. Anyway, this chapter will be pretty much just filler, as I am still debating what to do to Jenny. It's not easy trying to churn out 1+ chapters a day.  
  
Disclaimer: Insert legalese mumbo-jumbo here. Wow, 'legalese' is an actual word.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 17: Unit 16 and Lillith's Second Chosen  
  
Unit 16 slithered across the hot desert, ignoring the winds and the humans both. They were small things, nothing more than pricks against its hide.  
  
Then a huge explosion knocked it to one side. It curled around to see a crater near where its tail had been. Then another one hit it. If it had a mouth, it would have snarled. The humans had ascended from inconsequential pricks to actual annoyances. Its eye slammed shut.  
  
When it snapped open a moment later, a huge beam of light shot forth and engulfed the human crafts, destroying them all.  
  
It continued on its journey, now only touched by the winds.  
  
He wandered through the streets, listening to the booming voice in his head. Glaring out of the corner of his eyes at the people around him, he scowled at their mutual hatred for each other.  
  
"When Adam is destroyed, we will finally be free of our restraints." He muttered. "Adam is the only thing keeping us in these forms."  
  
Then he heard a rumbling in the distance. "One of Adam's copies." He turned to face it, then manifested his blade-like AT field. He sliced through the building that blocked his path, ignoring the screams of the people he cut down. They would be resurrected soon enough.  
  
He cut his way to the edge of the city, blocking police gunfire with his field. "Out of my way." He shouted. "I am not in the mood for your petty antics." He sliced through the city hall, leaving a man-sized hole in it, and strode into the desert.  
  
An explosion caught his attention. He turned to find a tank chasing after him. He extended his blade at it, piercing the hull. There were two screams, and then the tank exploded. He blocked the shrapnel with his field, then turned and continued toward the copy of Adam.  
  
Unit 16 felt it coming. A force, a creature similar to the girl. It was a human, yet more than a human. It was coming.  
  
Unit 16 slowed as an explosion appeared beyond the next dune. It crawled to the top and peered down to see a bright red-orange blade pierce through a tank. The origin of the blade was too small to see, but Unit 16 knew what it was. A human, a tiny human with the power to create an AT field.  
  
It crawled down the dune slowly, watching as the human continued toward it. The human suddenly stopped and looked up at Unit 16.  
  
"Halt, Angel." Angel. It had never been called that before. "What are you?"  
  
"Unit 16." Unit 16 said in its pilot's voice.  
  
He froze. That was a girl's voice. There was a girl in that thing. "But it's a copy of Adam." Said the voice in his head, the giant creature of light. "You must kill it."  
  
"I must kill it." He repeated. He raised his blade. "I must kill you, to get rid of Adam."  
  
Unit 16 stared at the boy. But I need Adam to complete Instrumentality, it thought, not concerned with the fact that he understood the boy at all. It didn't understand human tongue. There was something else translating for it.but it didn't think about that. It was concerned with Adam.  
  
The blade shot forward, and Unit 16 shot up its AT field to block it. The winds roared as the force of the blade met the force of the shield. The two of them held in immobile struggle for a long moment, before Unit 16 slipped its shield down long enough to level a blast from its eye at the boy. Now it was the boy's turn to block as the mutated-Eva bore down on him. "Even for a copy it's powerful." Muttered the boy.  
  
"That is because it is holding one of my children hostage." Said the Light- giant. "Destroy it, free my child."  
  
"I thought you said that-" his protest was interrupted by the booming voice.  
  
"Destroy it!"  
  
"No!" he spun his blade around and cut a hole deep in the sand beneath him. Using his AT field to keep the sand out he fell, not stopping to watch the beam flying over him.  
  
Unit 16 cut off the beam to watch the sand fall in to cover the boy. Then Unit 16 collapsed, lowering itself to the ground. The boy was strong, and Unit 16 would need to rest. And think.  
  
The boy walked through his self-made tunnel, thinking hard to fill the silence in his head. "I could not have killed it." He said out loud. "And if I did, the girl would have been lost to Adam's clutches forever." He nodded to himself. "I will go and destroy the real Adam, and that will free the girl."  
  
(AN: Okay, do you have any idea what's happening? 'cause I don't, and my muse isn't telling me anything.)  
  
He resurfaced just outside the city. As he expected, the military was waiting for him. He flung up his AT field again as the guns went off, but didn't manifest his blade. He needed to get to Adam, and fast.  
  
He stopped by a restaurant after losing the police down a series of alleys. The skirmish-he refused to call it a fight-had drained him. He entered the restaurant and stopped suddenly. There was another of Lillith's Chosen somewhere in the restaurant.  
  
He walked around until he found her sitting at a table by the window. She was about his age, with wild green hair and a devilish smirk. She was distinctly American, which made her stand out here in China. "Hi, there." She said in perfect Cantonese. "I didn't expect to see you here."  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, sitting down across from her. She put down the chicken leg she had been nibbling on and looked him in the eyes. Her eyes were the same pure black as his.  
  
"My name's Samantha." She told him. "And you?"  
  
"Dai-syo." He answered. "Now that that's over with, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm going to see Adam." She said calmly. "This town just happened to be in my path." She glanced out the window. "Those holes.so obvious, so ostentatious, so /male/." She shook her head. "Wonderful job."  
  
He ignored the bait and glared at her. "I'm going first. I have a better reason to kill Adam than because the Light-giant told me to."  
  
Her eyes widened. "You don't even know her name?" she asked, her voice full of laughter. "You are one of her Chosen warriors, and you don't know Lillith's name?" she shook her head. "I'm appalled that you didn't even have enough sense to find out the secrets your parents kept from you."  
  
"I have no parents." He told her. She nodded, a disbelieving smirk across her lips.  
  
"Of course." She answered. "You don't know a thing about your past. How sad."  
  
"Look, will you stop that and tell me what's going on?" her eyes met his again.  
  
"Impact." Was all she said. He froze. She nodded. "I'm talking about Fourth Impact, and the true evolution of mankind. I am talking about the war between the First and Second Angels, and the hold they have on us." She picked up her chicken again. "You should try this. It's really good." Had this been a Japanese cartoon, a big drop of sweat would have appeared on the side of his head. As is, he just stared at her.  
  
"We're trying to start another Impact?" she nodded around the chicken, offering him a piece.  
  
"This time, a slightly less-delusional group of Lillim will be in control, so we might get it right this time." They both spun suddenly to face the east.  
  
"Seems that the First has already gotten to Adam." She remarked. "I hope she succeeds. I'd hate to have a little girl as cute as her die."  
  
Little girl. The words echoed in his head. Unit 16 had a little girl in it. He stood up, grabbing a piece of chicken and stuffing it in his mouth. "I have to go."  
  
"Wait!" she called out. He turned to face her. "If she doesn't make it, will you meet me in Kyoto?" she asked. "I want to talk to you before you go in to get Adam." He nodded, slightly confused, then strode out.  
  
Unit 16 reared up as Jenny began to build her powers. It could hear the roar of the fire, could feel the heat of the flames, taste the metallic tinge of blood that filled Adam's storage chamber. It was still too drained to go, though. Its super solenoid engine was busy converting the sand beneath it into energy, but that boy had taken a lot of its energy with him. And it would not do anything to put Adam in danger. It would have to wait.  
  
And so it did.  
  
AN: Okay, maybe this chapter was a little more necessary than I'd thought at first. I've got a bit of odd stuff in here, more unexplained things, and a bit of insight into Lillith's Chosen. Don't you just love it when the main characters are drawn into a war in which either side's victory will be disastrous? The battle war between the First and Second Angels. And how does destroying Adam release the humans for further evolution? Who are the parents of Lillith's Chosen? Why is everyone trying to start another Impact? Why am I asking you all of these question? Find out (maybe) next time on Neon Genesis Evangelion: Fourth Impact 


	19. Guilt

Gomenasai, mina-san. Sorry in advance everybody.  
  
Disclaimer: See previous chapters  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 18: Guilt  
  
"For the true evolution of mankind."  
  
"We can't let her do that." Ritsuko shouted over the roar of the fireball. "If she does, she'll set off Fourth Impact and all our work will be for nothing."  
  
Jenny tossed the fireball up and down on one hand. "I think that you might want to step back." She said. "We're all going to die soon, but if you're farther away it will be less painful." She glanced at Kaoru sadly. "Unfortunately, you might not come back, as you are of Adam. I'm not sure about you, either." She nodded to Adam and Lilliko.  
  
She shrugged, causing the fireball to bob. "Oh well." She hurled the ball at Adam.  
  
An AT field shot up, catching the ball. "No." said Tabris. "Humanity should decide for itself when it will evolve."  
  
Jenny turned around to glare at Tabris. "Stay out of this, Tabris." The voice coming out of her was huge and womanly. It had the sound of an angry mother defending her children. "I will not let you contaminate any more of my children."  
  
"Why now, Lillith?" he asked. "Why can't you give the humans more time?"  
  
"Because I have grown tired of waiting. My manipulations under the hands of that false Adam have worn away my patience, and I must act now before that abomination," she pointed to Misa, "awakens her power." Then all hell broke loose.  
  
Fireballs streamed from the girl in all directions, swerving randomly to head toward Adam's sleeping form. AT fields sprung up around the embryo as Kaoru took off into the air, followed by Rei and Adamu. Misa and Lilliko flung up their own fields to protect the other people in the room.  
  
Jenny/Lillith roared at their interference, and her own AT field shot out, trying to pin the Nagisa family to the walls.  
  
Misa screamed. "Jenny! Don't do this!"  
  
Jenny turned to her. "I have to. The Light-giant says that all human suffering will end when Adam is destroyed." She smiled. "I don't want you to be unhappy."  
  
"But we like things the way they are!" Misa shouted back, a part of her mind wondering how she could hear the girl so clearly.  
  
"You don't understand how much better they could be." Lillith turned to the three nephilims projecting their AT fields around Adam. "Look at them. What has their existence done? He will only hurt you, Ikari Misato Soryu."  
  
"Adamu hasn't done anything to me, and he won't." Misa replied forcefully. "He is my friend, and I trust him."  
  
"Where have you gotten these ideas?" asked Jenny/Lillith. She turned to face Shinji. "Ah. The manifest of Adam. The false Messiah. You are the source of this trouble."  
  
Jenny hurled another ball at Adam then turned to the humans. The other balls continued to eat away at Kaoru, Rei and Adamu's combined AT fields. "Since I cannot destroy Adam yet, and Tabris is too mobile currently, I will destroy you." She pointed at Shinji. A fireball burst into existence at her fingertip, even bigger than the ones she had shot at Adam. "Die."  
  
"No!" Misa rushed forward, knocking the girl down physically as the fireball launched. Jenny, caught off guard, let go of her balloon and chucked the fireball straight upwards. The burning sphere hovered for a precarious moment as the balloon floated lazily up toward the ceiling.  
  
"My balloon!" cried Jenny. The balls around Adam disappeared, but the one hovering above them continued to spin.  
  
Misa flung up her AT field over both her and Jenny in preparation for the fireball's fall.  
  
Everyone watched as the balloon touched the ceiling and popped.  
  
Misa turned to see only a puddle of LCL in her arms.  
  
The fireball fell.  
  
Misa shrieked as the ball impacted her AT field, eating away at her defenses. Adamu was instantly beside her, adding his AT field to hers.  
  
Misa crouched, frozen with fear as the fireball roared above her. Then it was all around her, and her AT field was alone.  
  
Misa looked up. Around her was an endless field of flowers. Blue sky speckled with small white clouds. She could hear birds singing, and the gurgle of a stream.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked.  
  
"You are in heaven." Said a voice, soothing and soft. She turned to see a young woman with silvery hair standing behind her.  
  
"I died?" she asked. The woman shook her head.  
  
"You are merely outside that crude shell you call a body. Your soul is free. You are in heaven."  
  
"I have to get back." Misa told the woman. "I have to make sure that my friends are all right."  
  
"Most of them will be here soon." Replied the woman. "If you wish it so."  
  
Misa felt something tugging at her pant leg. She turned to see Jenny standing next to her, once again holding the balloon. "Hello, Misa-san." Jenny said sweetly. "Can you stay here?"  
  
"I have to go!" repeated Misa. "I have to get back to my friends. I can't abandon them to die. And even if I did," she turned to the woman, "Lilliko, Adamu, and their parents wouldn't come here, would they, Lillith."  
  
"Of course not." Lillith replied. "They would join Adam in hell."  
  
"I can't stay here." Misa repeated once more, and shut her eyes, trying to escape from this fantasy. "Staying here would be the same as running. I mustn't run away." (AN: I just had to put that in somewhere.)  
  
"Stop that." Lillith commanded, glowing. "Stop that, now." She reached out to grab Misa.  
  
Suddenly Misa's AT field surged up around her. Lillith pulled back, startled. "I will not." She told Lillith. "You may have been the mother of all humanity, but the children have to make their own decisions." And then she was back. She was once again kneeling on the platform next to Adam, shrieking underneath her AT field. But the fireball was gone. She stopped screaming and stood up, dissipating her field. Everyone was in the same positions they had been when she had been enveloped.  
  
"Jenny!" She cried, kneeling down again to stare into the puddle beneath her. "I killed her."  
  
"There was nothing you could have done." Adamu said, crouching next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders. "There was absolutely nothing that you could have done."  
  
"But." she began to protest, tears pouring down her stricken face.  
  
"But nothing. You had no chance to save her. You did what you had to." He glanced at her father. "Jenny was under Lillith's control. There was no way that you could have prevented what happened."  
  
She flung herself onto him, crying into his shoulder. He helped her to her feet and guided her toward the door.  
  
"Lock this place up." He told Ritsuko. "Fill it with bakelite and let's go. This place makes me sick."  
  
Ritsuko nodded dumbly as he led Misa out of the room.  
  
"Ikari-san?" asked the teacher. Takoru stood up.  
  
"Ikari-san's parents informed me that she won't be coming to school for a while." He said for her. "A friend of hers died over the weekend, and she needs time to mourn."  
  
The teacher nodded in sympathy, and moved on to the next student.  
  
Takoru sat down. His story wasn't entirely true. Misato was using the time to push herself deeper and deeper into an abyss of guilt and depression. She had locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone.  
  
What had happened underneath the fireball? He wondered. It had landed on her, but then it had passed through her. She looked shaken when she emerged, even before she registered Jenny's demise.  
  
He looked up suddenly. His hand dropped the pen and his eyes widened. The first of Lillith's Chosen had perished without completing the mission. He closed his eyes in sympathy, then picked the pen up again. "Sorry about that." He said to the clerk.  
  
"It's all right, Mr. Sudermann." The clerk replied. "The heat is getting to all of us these days."  
  
Lillith's sixth chosen finished signing the form and stepped out into the crowds boarding the boat. Entering his room, he sat down and closed his eyes once again. Loosing the First Chosen was a shock, one that even all of Lillith's training had not prepared him for.  
  
"Perhaps I should wait." He said to himself. "I can hide myself in Japan, and come out when I am ready. Yes, that seems a better course of action."  
  
Unit 16 had reacted similarly when it felt Jenny's death, only its feelings were not of sadness but of satisfaction at the death of one of Lillith's accursed Chosen.  
  
That made one less obstacle standing between it and Adam. But still it needed time. Adam was still too asleep to cause Fourth Impact the way Unit 16 desired, and Unit 16 knew of no way to wake it without affecting its scenario. Unit 16 would have to wait for Adam to awaken on its own.  
  
"Misato-chan." Shinji called. "Please, I understand what you're going through. Remember, I went through it myself."  
  
"Go away father. You killed a person who betrayed you. I killed a little girl."  
  
"I killed one of the few people who loved me." he replied. "He was just as innocent as Jenny."  
  
The doorbell rang and Asuka opened it. She grabbed Adamu's arm, hauled him inside and shoved him to Misato's door.  
  
"You go in there and help her out." Asuka told him. "I don't know why, but she listens to you."  
  
"Why can't your husband go in?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Because your father survived." She responded, almost making it an accusation. "Misato believes that Shinji can't understand because he didn't really kill Kaoru."  
  
"So why will she listen to me?" asked Adamu. "We've only known each other for two months."  
  
"She'll listen to you because that's the way she is." Asuka informed him firmly. He knocked dubiously on Misato's door.  
  
"Misa-chan? It's Adamu. Can I come in?"  
  
She didn't respond. He took that as a good sign and tried the handle. The door was locked.  
  
"Can you open it?" he asked. Her parents shook their heads. Shinji pointed to the lock.  
  
"Asuka insisted that Misato have absolute privacy when she wanted." Asuka glared at her husband, but nodded.  
  
Adamu nodded, then turned to the door and manifested his AT field in a long wrinkled spike. He jammed it into the keyhole and twisted. The door swung open, and he stepped inside.  
  
She was sitting on her bed, curled up and crying into her knees. "Don't look at me." she told him. "I'm a monster."  
  
"Ikari Misato Soryu." he said, his voice dripping with scorn. "So, this is where you've been hiding."  
  
She turned to face him, confused. He shook his head. "I am very disappointed in you." he continued. "To think that a Soryu would break down and cry like a little baby because of something that wasn't her fault. Perhaps the so-called strength of the Soryu line is simply a front."  
  
"That's not true!" she retorted. "There must have been something that I could do."  
  
"Well then, it looks like the old Soryu intelligence must be the deception." He said mockingly. She stood up.  
  
"Do not insult the Soryu line, or you will live to regret it." She told him.  
  
"Then why couldn't you figure it out? Or maybe a Soryu wouldn't have the brains."  
  
"I have the brains." She said in a deadly whisper. "If there was something, I could have found it."  
  
"But you didn't." he reminded her. "And therefore there was nothing." She glared at him until his words sunk in past her guilt and anger. "There was nothing that you could have done."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Surely Soryu-san," he stressed the name, "if there was anything that could have been done to prevent it, you would have figured it out." He said firmly. She nodded, looking away.  
  
He moved closer to her as she looked up again, and their eyes met. Adamu suddenly found himself unable to move as he stared into her eyes.  
  
"Thank you." she said softly. He could only stare, entranced by her deep blue eyes that seemed to go on forever.  
  
He snapped back to reality when she closed her eyes. She gave him a peck on the cheek, a chaste, innocent kiss. It was more than enough to make his mind black out.  
  
She pulled back to find a stunned expression on his face. She smirked. "Now get out of my room before I label you a pervert." He got up, still stunned, and walked out.  
  
He stopped when Asuka grabbed his shoulder. "Thank you, Adamu." She said to him, smiling. Then her expression grew more serious. "But if you ever do that again when I'm around, you'll really regret it. Misato's half Idiot," she jerked a thumb at her husband, who was going into Misato's room, "so she won't get offended as quickly, but I'm a full Soryu, and I will not take those kind of insults to my bloodline."  
  
He nodded to her and continued out of the house. His sister was waiting for him.  
  
"Good job." She said, forgoing the chance to remark on the lipstick stains on his cheek. "I knew that your jerkiness would be useful eventually."  
  
AN: Whack! Layra-chan: When I said kill someone, I didn't mean kill a cute five-year- old girl with a balloon! DreyonLegacy: Sorry! I couldn't think of any other way to deal with her. She was a lot of trouble, and I needed to get rid of her. Believe me, if there was another way. Layra-chan: Hmph. Be glad that I am dependent on you for my nutrition, or you would be short one muse. DreyonLegacy: Once again, sorry for everyone who's upset. I'll try to make it up for you by making the next chapters more light-hearted, maybe so far as humorous. I do need to get back to the humor portion of the fic. And before you hopeless romantics say anything, I'd like to point out that Misato's eyes affected Touji and Misato Sr. the same way, not just Adamu. You'll find out why soon. 


	20. Attempts at Flirtation

Keyblade: Thanx for the review. Really appreciate your comments  
  
LordVaughan: Sorry to disappoint you, but I did not put a lot of work into this. If you want to see a lot of work, hack into my computer and find my story "Space Phantoms" 300+ pages of solid writing, half a year's work on the writing alone, not to mention the planning and the character design, etc. This right here is just a bunch of random ideas strung together under the name Evangelion.  
  
While I'm ranting about this, I'd just like to say why this will be the only fanfiction I will ever write: I believe that writing original fiction is more satisfying, because you have to come up with everything. The characters, the setting, the background, everything ha to come out of your own head, you have nothing set up in advance. I'm not bashing any fanfiction authors or fanfiction in general. There are a lot of good authors doing fanfiction, and a lot of good fanfiction works out there. But personally, I prefer writing original fiction.  
  
And that was your rant for today.  
  
Disclaimer: Shin Seiki Evangelion is owned by Hideaki Anno and Gainax. That sounds like a dishwashing detergent. Gainax, for the really tough stains. Sorry.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 18: Attempts at Flirtation  
  
"Good to see you again, Misa-chan." Takoru said as they met in the classroom. "I thought you would have been out all week."  
  
Misato smiled wanly. "Adamu threatened to insult my heritage until I pulled myself together." She told him. "My pride wouldn't let me ignore him."  
  
"Well, it looks like Soryu blood is good for something." He said with a smile. She swatted at him.  
  
"Not you too." He grinned. A sudden crashing noise came from outside the classroom, and everyone turned to watch as Adamu ran in, chased by his sister. Lilliko was swinging a large stick at her brother and shouting at him. She chased him around the room a few times, then got tired and sat down.  
  
"If you ever do that in public again, you little jerk, I will kill you!" she said finally, as Adamu took his seat across Misato.  
  
Misato turned to him. "What did you do?" she asked, a bit worried.  
  
"I tripped her as we were running to class." He told her. "She had woken up late, so had to eat breakfast on the run." His sister grunted angrily. "You should have seen her running through the streets with a piece of toast hanging out of her mouth." (AN: Had to put that in somewhere.)  
  
"And you tripped while she was eating?" asked Misato. He shook his head.  
  
"I tripped her after she finished. She's just upset because her satchel flew up and smacked her in the back of the head, and when she fell down, someone might have seen up her skirt."  
  
Takoru grinned. "Then maybe she shouldn't wear her skirt so short." He said. Misato smirked while Lilliko glared at them. Takoru shook his head. "You should be careful, though, Adamu. I know of nothing more dangerous than an angry girl."  
  
Adamu closed his eyes, unfazed. "Then you obviously haven't been paying attention."  
  
(AN: Guess which one is my opinion. Remember, Lillith was female, and Adam was.did they say?)  
  
Class started, and the students started goofing off as the teacher droned.  
  
FallenAngel: Takoru, I'm not sure that making Lilliko upset is the best way to deal with her.  
  
Joker: That's how I always treat my girlfriend.  
  
FallenAngel: She's your girlfriend? Already?  
  
Joker: No, we're not a couple yet. I'm just practicing.  
  
SugarHigh: This isn't winning you any points, Takoru.  
  
There was some muffled cursing as Takoru realized that he hadn't locked the conversation.  
  
Joker: Sorry. Really, I am. Maybe I can make it up to you? Take you out to dinner, maybe?  
  
SugarHigh: Do you think I'm stupid or something?  
  
Joker: Of course not. I wouldn't invite an idiot out for a romantic dinner.  
  
SugarHigh: It will be romantic up until the point where I stab you with a chopstick. No, you can't take me out to dinner. You could however, cut back on the veiled insults and the bad attempts at flirtation.  
  
Joker: Oh, my poor heart. All right.  
  
Misato strived hard to keep from laughing at them. Whether Lilliko knew it or not, Takoru was obviously smitten with her. Takoru never flirted with anyone. She suspected that Lilliko was just as taken by Takoru, but was unwilling to admit it.  
  
Takoru looked up as his friends from the track team came over.  
  
"Hey, man." Said a kid with bright yellow hair. "You're spending a lot of time with Ayanami."  
  
Takoru nodded, digging into his lunch.  
  
"She's an Angel, Takoru." Said another. "She's going to try and get you eventually." Takoru shook his head.  
  
"That's not true." He told them. "She's a nice girl." The team looked at each other, wondering what was wrong with their captain.  
  
Then one of them asked shakily, "You don't, you know, like her, do you?" Takoru froze. He turned slowly to face his friends. He looked at them, examined them. They had tolerated Misato but feared her from the start. When she had been revealed as an Angel, they had flew with everyone else. He only knew them through the track team and the football team. They were strong, invaluable players, and he had become close friends with them. But they still didn't understand his friendship with Misato, or his new friendship with Adamu and Lilliko.  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
They freaked out, to say the least.  
  
"Come on, man!" said the one with yellow hair. "Your father works for NERV! You should know better about the Angels!"  
  
"But that's it, Tekazu." Takoru replied. "I know about the Angels, and I know that Lilliko-chan isn't like the ones that attacked us seventeen years ago."  
  
His friends went into a deep huddle, breaking and shaking their heads at him.  
  
"You'll regret it." Said Tekazu. His eyes abruptly widened, and he ran off, followed by the rest of the group.  
  
Takoru turned around to see Lilliko sauntering toward him, Misato and Adamu behind her. "Did I interrupt something?" she asked innocently.  
  
"They were about to finish anyway." He told her. Then he turned to glance meaningfully at Misato and Adamu.  
  
"So," he said making sure that they could hear him, "What's our next scheme for getting your bother and Misa-chan together?"  
  
Lilliko grinned as both Adamu and Misato blushed. "I don't know, maybe a movie? We could go to a movie together, a scary one, and leave them when the movie heats up." She glanced at Misato, who was openly glaring at her. "I heard that hanging onto your potential boyfriend/girlfriend during a scary movie is a great way to get a relationship going."  
  
Taokru nodded, smirking, and turned to Misato. "Hey, Misa-chan, you want to go to the theater this weekend? I heard that they're having a monster movie special on Saturday."  
  
Smack. He fell back as her palm slammed into his cheek. Still grinning, he watched as she picked up her lunch. "Hey, don't leave." He pleaded. "Can't you take a joke?"  
  
"You agreed to let Lilliko off of your list of people to annoy. I ask the same." She told him.  
  
"But I'm not trying to get a date with you. Adamu is." Smack. This time its was Lilliko who hit him.  
  
"I told you to cut the flirting." She said, sounding almost angry.  
  
"I believe that you said that an angry girl is the most dangerous thing you know of." Remarked Adamu. "Apparently you have little fear."  
  
Takoru shrugged. "No, I just have two sisters at home. My cheeks can take anything."  
  
Misato and Lilliko glanced at each other. "Then perhaps I'll aim a bit lower this time." Misato said, pulling back for a punch. He immediately put his hands up in surrender.  
  
"Okay! I'm sorry." He said. "Such short tempers." He shook his head. "For such cute girls you really are insecure."  
  
That pushed Lilliko over the edge. She lunged at Takoru, who expertly dodged and was on his feet in an instant.  
  
Misato sat back down and returned to her lunch. "Why do they want to get us together so much?" she asked.  
  
"My sister thinks that I need to change my attitude, and that you are the best person to do so for me." Adamu replied. "Takoru just thinks that it would be funny." "Do you agree? With your sister, I mean." Asked Misato.  
  
"If my sister is right, then my perspective is too skewed for me to know that I need help." He told her. They sat in silence for a few moments.  
  
"Weirdo." Misato said finally.  
  
"From my perspective I'm perfectly sane." He replied.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Maybe you really do need help. I mean, you tripped your own sister in public."  
  
"Takoru teases you until you get mad." Adamu replied. "I fail to see the difference."  
  
Takoru sat down again, panting heavily. "That was fun." He said. Suddenly he shot forward as a fist caught him from behind.  
  
Lilliko sat down where he had been and whacked Adamu in the back of the head. "That was for this morning."  
  
Takoru got to his feet and dusted himself of. "Wow. What's gotten you so upset?"  
  
"It's the 14th." Said Adamu. Takoru looked at him, confused.  
  
"What's that have to do with anything?" Lilliko glared at her brother, threatening him silently.  
  
"I believe you people call it-" he was cut off as Lilliko's hand clamped over his mouth.  
  
"You say a word and I will have to hurt you." she hissed.  
  
Takoru's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, that's why she's upset. The 14th. Right." That time of the month.  
  
Lilliko turned to him, bloodlust in her eyes. He grinned and offered her the remains of his lunch.  
  
AN: Well, that was stupid. The only important part here is, well, the conversation with the other track team members. The rest is absolutely pointless, except for the bit at the end. I need that for further chapters.  
  
And remember, the only thing more dangerous than an angry girl is an angry girl with a pointed stick. "A pointed stick? Fresh fruit not good enough for you, eh? Well let me tell you something me lad, when you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes at you with a bunch of loderberries, don't come crying to me."  
-Monty Python, Self-Defense Class 


	21. Courtesy In Japan

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion owned by Hideaki Anno and Gainax.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 20: Courtesy In Japan  
  
"So," Takoru drawled. "How goes the plan to get your brother and Misa-chan together?" Lilliko shrugged, glaring at the ground in front of her.  
  
"My brother has managed to completely mess up every single opportunity that we give him." She told him. "And Misa-chan seems to think that it's fun to spite us."  
  
Takoru smiled. "Maybe if we get them when they're asleep, strip them naked and lock them in a closet somewhere." He suggested. Lilliko continued to brood.  
  
"That might be the only way."  
  
Dai-syo, 16-year-old Chinese street-child and Second of Lillith's Chosen, stood nervously on the sidewalk listening to the wind. She had said to meet him in Kyoto, and so here he was, in Kyoto, without a clue where she was. He didn't have a clue where he was either. He kept getting a chill down his spine, as if she was gong to creep up behind him and scream in his ear. Americans like her were just liable to do that. He closed his eyes and listened, waiting for that telltale ripple that marked Lillith's Chosen. There it was. Behind him. Creeping up on him.  
  
He spun around. It wasn't her. It was a boy, eastern European by the look of him. "And who might you be?" the boy asked in English.  
  
"Dai-syo." He replied shortly.  
  
"No surname?" the boy asked cheerily.  
  
"None that I'm giving you." Dai-syo replied, stepping back to examine the boy. The boy was about his age, medium height, fair skin and hair. His eyes were black, like all of Lillith's Chosen.  
  
"My name is Karles Sudermann." The boy said urbanely. "Sixth."  
  
Instead of giving his own number, Dai-syo raised an eyebrow. "Why are you giving me all this information?"  
  
"Because I trust you. You are one of Lillith's Chosen, after all."  
  
Dai-syo turned. "That means nothing until I get to Tokyo 4."  
  
"It meant something out in the desert." Karles replied. Dai-syo spun around, but the boy was gone.  
  
"Hey! Dai-syo!" He turned again to see Samantha running towards him, heedless of the traffic. She landed on the sidewalk and looked him over. "You look shaken. Did you miss me?"  
  
Lillith's Second Chosen didn't reply.  
  
"Fine." Samantha pouted. "Be like that." She brightened. "Come on, I found this great ramen place down the street." She grabbed his arm.  
  
"I prefer lo mein." Dai-syo told her. He didn't feel like eating.  
  
"And I'd prefer to have someone to talk to." She began to walk off. Caught by her enthusiasm, and her vice-like grip, Dai-syo followed.  
  
The place they entered was a small but elegant restaurant crammed into a street corner. Samantha ordered the biggest thing she could pronounce, while Dai-syo merely rolled his eyes and ordered some tea.  
  
"So, how do you like Kyoto?" Samantha asked, her mouth full of noodles. He stared at her.  
  
"Do you have to talk every single waking moment?" he asked her. She nodded, sucking the noodles in.  
  
"I talk in my sleep too." She took another large and, in his view, terribly uncouth slurp of her noodles and began to chatter about what she'd done since arriving in Japan.  
  
".but they said that the central generators still weren't working, so I had to cross by foot to-" he held up a hand to silence her.  
  
"If you're going to eat and talk at the same time," he said, "then you ought to do it properly, at least here in Asia." She cocked her head at him, silent for once.  
  
He got up and moved over to her side of the table, sitting down and picking up her chopsticks.  
  
By the time she had finished, he had taught her to at least appear civilized when eating and talking. She would still be a crude American, but at least now she wouldn't offend as much when blabbing and stuffing her face simultaneously.  
  
He still ended up rolling his eyes a lot.  
  
He suddenly noticed that she had caught his hand at some point. "Samantha?" he asked, pointing at the offending member. She just smiled.  
  
"I'm short one boyfriend." She told him. "My last one ran off screaming when he'd found out that I was one of the Chosen."  
  
He raised an eloquent eyebrow. "I would have thought it was from your atrocious manners."  
  
She chuckled. "Hey, I might be rude by your uptight eastern standards, but over in America I'm the politest thing in the country."  
  
He sighed dramatically. "I'd hate to see the rest of your countrymen, then." He glanced out the window. "Has it really been a month since the First died?"  
  
She nodded. "It's been a month and three days. It's been a month, two weeks and four days since the Fourth died mysteriously. A month, three weeks, and a day since the Ninth died."  
  
He frowned. "Why did we only feel the death of the First that strongly? I barely felt the Fourth and the Ninth go."  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know. I never met the two."  
  
"Do you." he paused. "Do you think we should attack together? Maybe then we will have a better chance."  
  
She thought for a moment, her lips moving unconsciously. "Perhaps that would be best." She nodded. "Yes, let's wait a while, then let's go. Perhaps by then we'll have a plan."  
  
He noticed once again that she was holding his hand, and rather possessively at that. "So," he said slowly, drawing his eyes off her long, elegant fingers, "what's this about our parents?"  
  
He blinked. She nodded again. "So that's why they burned it down." He mused.  
  
"Of course." She replied. "Can't have a child of NERV running loose with a blade-shaped AT field."  
  
"So much makes sense now." he got up. "Where are you staying?" he asked. She shrugged.  
  
"I just got here. I was hoping that I could stay with you." his eyes grew wide.  
  
"But-" she put a finger to his lips. "I could make it worth your while." She told him sultrily. He paused. They were both sixteen, they were old enough. He had lived long enough on the street to think himself responsible enough to handle it. She probably had too. But the idea still repulsed him for some reason.  
  
"You can't just sell your body like this." He told her. She shrugged.  
  
"My mother sold her mind and my father his soul to NERV. Selling my body isn't nearly as bad." He shook his head.  
  
"No. I'll get us a room with two beds." He got to his feet, refusing to listen to her protests. Then he suddenly turned around to face her. "And if you start talking to me in your sleep, I'm kicking you out." She nodded, a look of false contrition on her face. He tried to glare at her, but her pose was so obviously fake that he couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Come on, then." He said, offering his hand to her. "It will take a while to find a room for us in a city this big."  
  
"Takoru!" Takoru deftly caught the ball and began to dribble down the field, weaving through the defense and making his way toward the goal. Two defenders encircled him and he passed the ball to a teammate, then dashed down the field to get in position. Sure enough, the ball flew back to him and he smashed it past the goalie into the goal. The whistle blew, marking the end of the game.  
  
He changed out of his soccer uniform, chatting quietly with his friends. The happy atmosphere dissipated, however, when they went outside and were met by Lilliko.  
  
"Great game." She said, oblivious to the glares Takoru's teammates were giving her. "Say, do you have some time? I've got a great idea of how to slip the noose around my twin's neck."  
  
Takoru mouthed an apology to his teammates and nodded to Lilliko. "Why don't you come over to my house? I know that my siblings will be delighted to see you."  
  
"Lilliko-san!" Takoru's younger sister bounced down the stairs and flew into Lilliko's arms.  
  
"Good to see you too, Ami-chan." Lilliko picked up the four-year-old and placed her on the edge of the table. "I have to go plot mischief with your brother, but I promise to play with you later if you behave."  
  
Amika nodded enthusiastically, sliding off the table and running off to tell her mother who had come over.  
  
"So?" asked Takoru, "you want to come upstairs?"  
  
She grinned at him. "And wade through that giant blender-explosion you call a room? Why, certainly."  
  
They went up to his room. Takoru kicked some of his mess out of the way and they made their way to the windowsill, on which lay all of their top-secret plans for catching Misato and Adamu. Takoru's huge wolf-dog Esca promptly padded over to Lilliko, placed his head in her lap, and fell asleep.  
  
"So, how about that thing I suggested yesterday?" he asked. She smiled cruelly.  
  
"You mean the one where we lock them in a closet naked?" she flashed devious eyes at him, then shook her head regretfully. "I could get Adamu easily enough, but I'm not sure about Misato."  
  
Takoru frowned. "I guess you're right." He sighed. "And it sounded so good too. It's just as well, though." He said. "Misato would have killed Adamu for being such a pervert, then tore through the door and killed us for the same crime."  
  
"And Adamu wouldn't have reacted anyway." Lilliko added. "He has the organs and all but his brain seems to lack a few switches."  
  
AN: More pointlessness. More random stupidity. One question answered, at least one more posed. Good news, however. I now have an incredibly vague idea of where this is going. Incredibly vague. That's all the news I'm giving you. Byes. 


	22. Beginnings of Romance

I can't believe how fast I churned out that last chap. Not that anything super-duper important happens in it.I'm rambling here. Anyway, in response to your advice, Animefan2017, I'm publishing so quickly because by the time that next week ends, I'm going to have no internet access for six weeks. Now, I could string you guys along for reviews, or just string you along for the screams of agony, but I'm not writing this for reviews or for sadistic pleasure, strange as that sounds. If you'd read the rather pointless author's notes from previous chaps, I'm writing to get this out of my head before I go insane.-er. I'm not quite sure what happened with the earlier chapters getting mixed up or whatever, but thanx for tellin' me.  
  
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis and all of its derivatives are property of Hideaki Anno and Gainax.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 21: Beginnings of Romance  
  
Misato watched as Takoru and Lilliko ran back and forth across the field, trying to keep track of Takoru's dog. Esca was nothing but a white-gray blur against the grass, bounding back and forth trying to keep away from the dreaded hairbrush.  
  
"I got him!" shouted Lilliko, diving at the dog, but Esca swerved out of the way and Lilliko landed face flat in the grass. She bounced to her feet and was chasing after the dog in half a moment, during which Takoru got similarly treated by his pet.  
  
Adamu lounged in the shade of a tall tree, wondering how his sister managed to derive joy from being so humiliated.  
  
A group of girls wandered over to him, attempting to start a conversation with him. They must have been in a different class, as they didn't know of his status as an Angel. He ignored them. They gathered around him, trying to break through his indifference.  
  
Misato walked over to rescue Adamu, who was about to be overwhelmed by the girls. She sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder, smiling sweetly at the girls. They quickly backed off.  
  
"Quite a fanclub you've got there." She said, not bothering to move.  
  
"I don't understand why so many females try and start a relationship with me." he told her. "Mostly through physical means." Her head shot off his shoulder and she smiled in embarrassment.  
  
"If Lilli-kun asks, I was just doing that to get the girls away." She said firmly.  
  
"And if she doesn't ask?" Adamu waited while Misato blushed.  
  
"I was still doing that to get the girls away." Misato replied.  
  
He turned to face her. "Misato, I hate to ask this, but."  
  
"Well, I'd hate to answer, so go ahead." She told him.  
  
"Do you like me?" he forced out. "You know what I mean."  
  
She smiled at him. "What do you think?" she asked. He glared at her.  
  
"I have no clue. At all." He told her. "I know absolutely nothing about other people. I can't even begin to understand my sister, and I've lived with her all of my life."  
  
She shrugged. "Well, if I do like you, then I'll just pretend that I don't to make your sister mad and get back at Takoru-kun. Either way, you'll never know the difference."  
  
"I want an answer." He told her.  
  
"And I want a headrest." She replied. "The difference is, I'm getting what I want." And she put her head back on his shoulder. "Don't you believe that this means anything, though. I'm just sleepy."  
  
He leaned his head back against the tree and stared up at the leaves. How could he ever survive in this world if people like her ran everything?  
  
Dai-syo slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he heard was singing. He snapped open his eyes.  
  
In front of the two beds, dressed in a long white shirt and panties, was Samantha, singing into the television remote. He blinked once, twice, three times, but still there she was. The entire scene was so cliché that he couldn't help but laugh.  
  
She spun to face him. "What?" she demanded. "Do you not like my singing?"  
  
He held down a blush as he saw how low the neckline of her shirt was. "Your singing is exquisite. However, your originality in terms of costume and circumstance could be better."  
  
She glared at him. Then she glanced down at her attire and shrieked. "Stop staring at me!" she spun around and stormed over to her drawers where they kept the clothes that she had spent the previous four days buying.  
  
He waited for her to slip into the bathroom before getting dressed himself. The image of her standing in front of him so scandalously, and scantily, dressed was burned into his eyes.  
  
"What do we do now?" he heard her ask.  
  
"Maybe we should get a map of Tokyo 4." He said. "Then we could at least plan an attack." She stepped out of the bathroom, drying her messy green hair.  
  
"I want a trench coat." She said suddenly. He blinked.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, all of the good female super-agents wear tight black leather and trench coats. And I'll need a pair of sunglasses."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "You are truly an American." She flashed a smile at him.  
  
"And you haven't watched enough television." She said, waving a finger in front of his face. "We can fix both problems later. Right now I need a trench coat."  
  
They wandered into the streets of Kyoto trying not to stand out too much. Fortunately everyone was too busy to notice them, but Dai-syo was still slightly worried. His companion did stick out like a fire in a water park, and had less common sense than a barrel of alcohol. She did speak flawless Japanese, however, so he depended on her as his own Japanese needed some work.  
  
"And this is yet another museum dedicated to people's bogus theorems about Third Impact." She gestured to a large brick building. "I don't know why they have so many of these, but at least a third of the great minds, those that returned from the sea of LCL in any case, are dedicated to finding out exactly what caused Third Impact."  
  
"And what did, exactly?" he asked her. She smiled.  
  
"Girls, of course. Two and a half, approximately." He frowned, raising an eyebrow in silent question. "Lillith, she's a girl, Ikari Yui, a woman whose husband loved her too much, and Ayanami Rei, a clone/combination of both, whose head still floats next to Tokyo 4. That makes two and a half girls."  
  
He blinked. She nodded confidently. "Girls make the world go round. You boys are only for show." She grabbed his hand and led him down another street.  
  
"And here we have the remains of."  
  
Lilliko dodged another spray and fired back at Adamu. Misato grinned as Lilliko's guard went down for a moment. The redhead took advantage of the opportunity to spray Lilliko until she fell into Takoru, who was sneaking up on her from behind. Lilliko yelped as she slammed into him and they both fell to the ground. Then Adamu turned and grimly hit Misato square in the chest with his water gun.  
  
"It's nice to have you sitting on me when your soaked and all," murmured Takoru to the girl straddling his chest, "but in the interest of not being called a pervert, could you get up?" Lilliko sprang to her feet, wiping herself off. Takoru merely grinned and shot her from behind.  
  
Isya fired at all of them with the garden hose, causing the entire group to gang up on Takoru's sister. But when she started shrieking, Takoru quickly changed sides, Lilliko joining him as Takoru's brother Rakota sided with Adamu and Misato.  
  
Amika popped her head out of the doorway to announce lunch, and the six thoroughly drenched children made their way inside. Hikari made them change as soon as they got in, eliciting some rather perverted comments from her sons about girls in wet clothing. Once dry, the group gathered back outside.  
  
Rei looked over her two children. "I don't understand either, mother." Adamu assured her. "But it was fun." She nodded. Even at the age of thirty she still had a bit of trouble of understanding the human concept of fun. Her husband didn't help, he couldn't understand boredom any more than he could understand hatred.  
  
"Fun?" demanded Lilliko. "That was exhilarating! That was incredible! That was not 'fun.' " Her brother nodded sarcastically, and she pouted at him.  
  
"Food!" the three males of the Suzuhara household had to be batted away from the still cooking barbeque. Asuka was more than willing to do the job, after all, she was the one cooking the frankfurters. (AN: They're frankfurters, not hotdogs. She's from Germany.)  
  
Shinji decided to divert Touji before his wife could hit him any more, while Takoru and Rakota were sent to fetch Esca.  
  
The dog also had to be batted away from the food.  
  
"So," Kaoru peered at Misato. "I've never had a chance to really meet you before." She shrugged.  
  
"We were busy, and you were out examining the Chosen. It couldn't be helped."  
  
"Either way, it's nice to be able to finally talk to Adamu's girlfriend."  
  
"I'm not his girlfriend!" Misato almost shouted. Almost everyone turned to stare at her. Adamu turned away, rolling his eyes. "We're just friends."  
  
"You're his friend, and you're a girl. Therefore you're his girlfriend." Kaoru said.  
  
Misato was on the edge of fuming when Adamu caught up to her. "He doesn't understand." He told her. "My father loves everybody. He's a true Angel. He doesn't quite understand human relationships."  
  
"Not that you do any better." She said sweetly. He shrugged.  
  
"Yes, but I admit it. He doesn't even know that he doesn't understand."  
  
She glanced at where Kaoru was talking to Touji. She glanced back at Adamu. The resemblance was very striking. The only difference really was that Kaoru was smiling, a huge, friendly smile with a hint of mischief. Adamu's expression said that he'd had enough trouble already. "Must be hard, living in that family." She gestured to where Lilliko and Esca had gotten into a tugging match over a meaningless piece of rope.  
  
"It works." He said. "We don't get on each other's nerves because father has no comprehension of the word annoyance, Lilliko is too cheery to be disturbed, and neither mother nor I care enough to get annoyed."  
  
They both looked over to where Rei was talking to Asuka. Asuka kept her gaze on the frankfurters, so she didn't notice the not-quite-regretful looks that Rei shot her way every once in a while. But every time she did that, Rei would then glance over at Kaoru, and her expression would brighten.  
  
Misato glanced at Adamu, who had chosen that exact moment to glance at her. Their eyes met, and they both turned away, embarrassed.  
  
Lilliko brandished the rope in front of Esca, taunting him. He reared up, put his paws on her shoulders and grabbed the rope from her. She squealed as she was pushed backwards, but Takoru caught her. He helped her to her feet and she mumbled a quick, "thank you." to him.  
  
"Bad Esca." He said loudly, but anyone at the right angle would see him winking at the dog. Then to Lilliko he asked, "Are you all right?"  
  
"That dog is a hazard." She told him. Esca just gave her a dog's version of a grin, jiggling the rope in his mouth. "I need something to drink."  
  
She grabbed a can of soda and chugged it down in one gulp. "AAAHHHH!" she shouted. "That's the stuff."  
  
Asuka and Shinji exchanged a glance. "Katsuragi." They said in unison. (AN: When I said that she'd act like Misato Sr., I meant it.)  
  
"I wonder why they're taking so long." Misato said to Adamu.  
  
"The frankfurters?" he asked. She shook her head.  
  
"No, Lillith's Chosen. Why hasn't the next one shown up yet?" he glanced at her, trying to figure out how to phrase his answer.  
  
"Maybe the last time scared them." She nodded, not betraying her still present pain.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
AN: Okay, the ending was a tad depressing, but I needed her to say something meaningful or this entire chapter would have been a complete waste of time plot-wise. Which it pretty much is anyway, but that's not the point. Oh, wait, I introduced Takoru's family! Right. That was good. I think. Maybe. Random quote of the day: "This sentence has cabbage six words. "  
-Douglas Hofstadter 


	23. Mergence

Lord of Pencil: You're sure you want to give me a review for every chapter? This thing is going to be long. I mean, I still have two Evas and a bunch of Chosen to deal with, and I have to get the relationships in, and cause Fourth Impact at some point. Oh well, it's your time.  
  
Disclaimer: Me no own Eva. Hideaki Anno and Gainax own Eva. Me no own nothing.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 22: Mergence  
  
Unit 16 hauled itself out of the water, listening idly to the screams of panic. Their fear and agony would be a fitting little nibble before Unit 16 got its real taste of vengeance.  
  
It tromped over the city wall and slammed down onto the street, crushing cars and people with equal negligence. As it strode through the streets the blades on the side of its body tore through the buildings on either side, its eye sweeping back and forth. It hadn't seen this many humans since.it pushed the painful memory away. She would be avenged. That would be enough.  
  
The plugsuit inside it bobbed up and down in the LCL, floating limp and oblivious to the destruction the Eva was causing. Inside the plug the last words of the pilot still echoed, the name Unit 16 swimming through the blood of Lillith.  
  
Unit 16 shot down another plane and continued forward. The chaos it created was oddly soothing, as if it had experienced something similar before. Then it stopped suddenly. That boy.no, this was something similar. Another of those strange humans with the strange AT fields.  
  
Karles looked up at the beast before him. It looked down at him. Karles' eyes widened as he realized the presence of the pilot within the beast.  
  
He manifested his whip and shot up his AT field as the beast tried to flatten him. Lashing out at the beast, he drew a gash across its underbelly, causing it to roar in pain. Then a claw came down, almost crushing him into the ground. He dashed under the beast, but the claw followed him, the arm that it was attached to extending tentacle-like.  
  
He lashed out at the core of the mutated Eva, hoping to cause a quick death, but the claw grabbed his whip and threatened to tear it from his grasp. He dissipated it, throwing up his AT field again and running for cover.  
  
Unit 16 back up a step and lashed out at Lillith's Sixth Chosen again. It had to destroy this thing, before it became more than just a petty annoyance and turned into a fatal annoyance. The boy was hidden from its sight, but its claws were big enough to simply bash up the entire street and drive the boy out of hiding. Then it got a better idea. It fired its eye-beam, boiling the street as it swept its eye across.  
  
Karles yelped and threw all of his power into his AT field. He hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and he was low on energy. Too much more and the Eva would destroy him.  
  
He managed to slip into a dark alleyway, turning off both his AT field and his whip to hide his presence. The Eva quickly gave up the search for him and moved on.  
  
Having dealt with the annoyance, Unit 16 continued to smash its way through the streets, heading once again to Adam.  
  
"Angel Alert!"  
  
Misa pulled out her phone. "Chosen or Eva?" she asked.  
  
"Eva." Replied Misato. Misa relayed the information to Adamu.  
  
Lilliko shot out of her seat moments before Misa and Adamu. "Have to go." She told the teacher, dashing out of the room.  
  
"Where are you going?" hissed Adamu. She smiled at him.  
  
"Dr. Akagi told me that Unit 19 has been completed." She told him. "I get to join you today."  
  
Adamu glared at her, but said nothing.  
  
They changed quickly and slipped into their plugs. The three Units launched, finding themselves in the countryside not far beyond Tokyo 4.  
  
"Lilliko, take point. Misa and Adamu will back her up." The three pilots nodded. Adamu picked out a pallet gun while Misato got a more powerful rocket launcher. Lilliko's Eva got a spear and an axe.  
  
"Will you be able to use both?" asked Misa. Lilliko nodded.  
  
"You should have seen me during the tests." Lilliko replied. "This Eva is built for speed, and I am built to handle it." Having said so, Lilliko bounded forward, leaving the other two Evas behind. They ran after her.  
  
"Careful, you guys." Misato admonished. "That thing has a powerful laser in its eye, and those blades can cut through anything, it seems. The claws can also extend." The three pilots slowed, growing cautious.  
  
"Do we have a visual?" asked Lilliko. A box appeared on their screens. Unit 16 had exited the city and was slithering through the forest, crushing trees as it went.  
  
"It's ugly." Misa said.  
  
"All of the Angels that attack us are ugly." Misato told her.  
  
"If I recall, you found my father kind of cute." Lilliko reminded her. Misato blushed.  
  
"Quiet."  
  
They remained silent until Unit 16 came into view. It came up to about the Evas' heads, and one feature that they hadn't seen before came into view: the huge gaping maw, lined with hundreds of. tiny teeth.  
  
Unit 16 saw its brethren standing before it, armed. They still retained the humanoid form that it had shed. Why they were blocking it, it could not fathom.  
  
It roared, telling them to move, but they held their ground. They were oddly silent. It pushed forward, brandishing its claws. They still held their ground. They would not move unless destroyed, Unit 16 concluded.  
  
It fired.  
  
The three pilots snapped up their AT fields just as the beam reached them.  
  
"What now?" asked Misa.  
  
"Hold him off." Said Adamu. "If Lilliko can get around it while we're still being fired at, then maybe."  
  
"Right." Lilliko dropped her AT field and began to run off to the side, while Misa and Adamu shifted their own fields forward. But Unit 16 merely stopped firing and lashed out at Lilliko with its claws. She was hit in the head, flying backwards.  
  
Adamu opened fire, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off the Eva's shell. Lilliko had bounced to her feet and slashed at Unit 16 with her knife, only to be flung back again as Unit 16 surged forward at Misa. Misa fired off a round, then dodged out of the way.  
  
"Where's the core?" demanded Lilliko.  
  
"I can't see it!" replied Misa as she ran after Unit 16. She fired again, causing Unit 16 to turn and face her. It fired, the beam wide enough to catch Adamu and Lilliko despite being aimed at only Misa.  
  
The three fell back and Unit 16 continued towards Tokyo 4. Right before reaching the city however, it blasted open a hole in the ground and crawled in.  
  
"I'm going to get it in the Geofront." Announced Misa. She ran back to the catapult and got in. "Bring me back." She told Misato.  
  
Her descent was rapid, sending her right back into the Eva cages. The Ayanami twins appeared shortly afterwards.  
  
"Misa-chan, get out." Ritsuko's voice shouted over the audio link. "Get out of the Eva."  
  
"Why?" she asked.  
  
"Last line of defense." Ritsuko answered.  
  
Misa was led down the halls to Adam's room, this time taking the direct route.  
  
The room was filled with bakelite only up to Adam's sleeping form.  
  
"We'll need you to move Adam in case Unit 16 penetrates this far." Ritsuko told her.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Don't worry, we're pretty sure that nothing will happen. You're not Angel enough, and you're not descended from Adam. It will be all right." Misa nodded dubiously and waited for the platform to extend to where Adam was sleeping. She knelt down next to the open box and peered in.  
  
"Is that." Ritsuko was already gone.  
  
Adamu dodged another punch and slashed at Unit 16's claw, only to be slammed up against the blades. A deep gash appeared in Unit 18's side, the pain mirrored on Adamu's body. He stumbled back, and Unit 16 jumped on him.  
  
Unit 19 was on top of Unit 16, jabbing at it with the spear. Lilliko was busy holding off the other claw with her axe and would slip every few seconds.  
  
"This isn't working!" she shouted.  
  
Then Adamu saw the core. "The core is beneath it." He forced out. "I can't get to it right now." Unit 16 started to crush him into the ground. He screamed.  
  
"Adamu!" Lilliko ran forward along Unit 16 and tried to jab at its eye, but was knocked off by both claws and pounded into the ground. She passed out at the same time as Adamu.  
  
Unit 16 trudged forward, crushing Unit 18 even further into the dirt. It smashed its way into the buildings and into the complex beneath.  
  
"Misa!" Misato's voice rang out on Misa's phone. "You have to-" her voice dissolved into static.  
  
"What?" Misa shouted.  
  
"Target has passed Terminal Dogma and is descending." Announced Makoto.  
  
"No response from Units 18 and 19." Maya shouted.  
  
"Misa!" Misato shouted into the phone. She spun to see Ritusko run onto the bridge. "Ritsuko, did you tell Misa where to bring Adam?"  
  
Ritsuko swore. "You mean you can't reach her?"  
  
"The phone's turned to static." Misato told her. "I take it that you didn't say."  
  
"Where is it?" Ritsuko stuck her head next to Makoto's.  
  
"It's reached the binary complex." Ritsuko swore.  
  
"Fill the place with bakelite." She ordered.  
  
"Filling binary complex." The red showing the bakelite level slowly filtered downward.  
  
Unit 16 smashed its way downward, toward its target, towards revenge. Its core began to pulse as it came closer and closer to Adam. "Unit.16." memories of its pilot began to surface. For the first time it pushed them aside. In moments it would be with its pilot once again. (AN: Okay, Unit 16 is starting to sound like Gendo. Strange.) Cold pricked at its tail. Unit 16 brought its head around and blasted away at the bakelite.  
  
Above the Geofront a section of Tokyo 4 ignited as the beam erupted from the ground. The streets boiled for a moment, and then the beam was gone.  
  
Makoto yelped as his screen burst into static. "What the hell?"  
  
"The upper levels of the binary complex have been obliterated." Reported the young woman who had taken Shigeru's place.  
  
Misa could feel the room shake as Unit 16 continued its descent. She curled around the box, suddenly trapped by fear. What if Unit 16 caught up to her? What if she was unable to get Adam away?  
  
The ceiling began to collapse. She screamed and flung her AT field over her head. She took a deep breath and began muttering, "I am a Soryu, I can take this," over and over.  
  
Then the ceiling fell inward and Unit 16's eye exploded into the room. She screamed again, grabbing Adam to her.  
  
Silence.  
  
Misa stared at the red orb that was Adam, even as it passed through her plugsuit and merged with her core. She screamed in agony.  
  
Light shot out of her, blasting up and out, filling the room, piercing Unit 16 and the walls of the binary complex.  
  
"Ikari Misato Soryu." Said a voice coming from within her. Images flashed through her eyes, images that she couldn't even begin to comprehend. She saw the landing on earth, she saw Second Impact, Third Impact, the Fourth Impact yet to come.  
  
And she saw the Angels, Adam, Lillith, Sachiel, Shamshel, Ramiel, Gaghiel, Israfel, Sandalphon, Matariel, Sahaquiel, Iruel, Lilliel, Bardiel, Zeruel, Arael, Armisael, Tabris. (AN: collect them all!)  
  
She saw Eva, she saw Gehrin and Seele and Rokubungi Gendo. She caught a glimpse of the Messiah.  
  
As the AT field passed through Unit 16, the plugsuit inside began to puff up as the outline of a human girl appeared in it. Bones, then flesh solidified out of the LCL. Pale skin, then flaxen hair grew out.  
  
Misa/Adam stood up, turning to face Unit 16. "Go." She ordered. "Leave this place. Go."  
  
Unit 16 stared for a moment. Adam was telling it to go. So it turned, causing more damage, and crawled out. It blasted another hole through the bakelite and crawled out into Tokyo 4.  
  
Suddenly it heard a voice. "Unit.16?" It froze on the verge of leaving Tokyo 4. "Where are we?" Unit 16 fled.  
  
AN: Yay, I can name all of the Angels, in order, as well as their mythical attributes! You have now read over a hundred pages! Layra-chan, put that knife down! 


	24. Ariline

Well, that was exciting. Adam + Misa = ?  
  
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion and all of its derivatives are property of Hideaki Anno and Gainax.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 23: Ariline  
  
Misato opened her eyes. She glanced up. That was the ceiling of the NERV medical warden. Looking to the side she caught sight of an IV bag. She would have sighed except that she was too weak. She could hear something making noise, but was too groggy to make out the words. Finally she woke up enough to make out Ritsuko's voice.  
  
"Misa-chan? If you're awake, then listen. You've been quarantined for a while. Adam made some changes to your body, and we need to examine you." Misato stared at the ceiling.  
  
"How long will she be in there for?" asked Lilliko. Ritsuko shrugged apologetically.  
  
"I don't know. She's merged with Adam now; we don't know what Adam could have done to her."  
  
"She made Unit 16 leave." Adamu said quietly. Ritsuko spun to face him, but Lilliko nodded in agreement.  
  
"I heard her too." Lilliko confirmed.  
  
"Unit 16, where are we?" asked Ariline, looking around. Unit 16 stopped moving. "Unit 16.you've changed." Ariline could feel all sorts of odd sensations, the feeling of limbs where she had none, of floating when she should have been able to feel the ground beneath her feet. She pulled open a diagnostics check on Unit 16 and gasped at what she saw. "Unit 16, what happened? Where are we?"  
  
She suddenly saw an image of a giant glowing humanoid surrounded by melting snow.  
  
"Adam! Unit 16, what happened to us? Why are we." she looked around and gasped. "We're in Japan!"  
  
She looked around. "We have to get back to NERV-" she was cut off as a huge feeling of negation swept through the plug. "Why not? I need to find out what's happening." The same feeling of dissent filled her again.  
  
Suddenly she felt a prick against her skin. She glanced out to see planes surrounding her, firing at her. "Aah! Why are you shooting at me?" she asked them.  
  
They stopped. A voice link opened up. "Who are you?" asked a gruff voice in bad English.  
  
"I am Ariline, pilot of Eva Unit 16." She replied, shaken. "What happened?"  
  
There was a long silence. She could hear voices talking in the background.  
  
"We'll let NERV handle this." She was told. At the sound of the organization's name, Unit 16 reared up and charged forward, away from the planes and into the wilderness.  
  
When they'd finally escaped, Unit 16 slowed down. "Unit 16," Ariline asked, "what do you have against NERV?"  
  
She screamed as an image flashed through her head, images forming a scene of a girl with blonde hair shrieking as she dissolved into LCL. Ariline froze. That was her. That girl that merged with the LCL, that was her. Her Eva had gone berserk.  
  
"No! Unit 16, you didn't do that, did you?" A feeling of negation, then the name NERV. "NERV did this?" Ariline curled into a fetal ball. "I don't understand."  
  
She stopped Unit 16 some distance from a city and got out, her plugsuit dripping. She made her way through the forest and entered the city, not noticing the stares that she was getting. She looked around, not understanding any of the signs.  
  
She turned around as someone, a young girl, said something to her. "I don't understand." She said in slow English. Comprehension flashed in the person's eyes.  
  
"Ah, you're from America." She said. "Are you part of NERV by any chance?" Ariline nodded, unsure.  
  
"I was." The girl looked her over as Ariline did the same. The girl had green hair, and looked to be from somewhere on the east coast of America.  
  
"So, you're one of Lillith's Chosen." The girl said finally. Ariline blinked.  
  
"Lillith?" she asked stupidly. All she'd heard about Lillith came to somewhere around 'don't touch.'  
  
"Lillith, the Second Angel, the mother of all Humanity." The girl paused. "The Light-giant." Ariline continued to stare blankly at her. The girl rolled her eyes and grabbed Ariline's hand.  
  
"Come on, my friend is waiting for me. I'll talk to you over lunch. You're so thin."  
  
Dai-syo peered at the still dripping girl that Samantha had dragged over. The girl was shivering despite the heat of Kyoto and the towel she was wrapped in, and hadn't touched her food at all.  
  
"At least she's quiet." Dai-syo said to Samantha. Samantha shrugged and continued to chatter at the girl. Dai-syo interrupted. "What's her name?"  
  
Samantha paused. "You know, I never found out." She turned to the girl. "What's your name?"  
  
The girl stared at her, then looked down at the floor. "Ariline." She mumbled. She had a wonderful voice, warm and soft.  
  
"My name is Samantha," Samantha shook Ariline's hand, "and tall, dark and handsome over there is Dai-syo." Ariline gave him a weak smile and went back to looking at the floor.  
  
"Now that that's out of the way," Samantha continued, "how can you be one of Lillith's Chosen and not get anything from her?"  
  
"I don't know." Replied Ariline. "I was in Unit 16 since.since." she trailed off. Dai-syo's eyes suddenly widened.  
  
"You were in an Eva?" he asked incredulously. She opened the towel enough to reveal the neckline of her plugsuit.  
  
"I was the pilot of Unit 16, stationed in America." She said quietly. "But something happened, and I ended up here." She began to cry softly. "I don't understand what's happening at all."  
  
Dai-syo stood up. "Let's get her back to the room." He said to Samantha. "She's obviously had a terrible time, and needs to sleep it off." Samantha nodded uncertainly and they helped Ariline to her feet. The blonde then collapsed into Dai-syo's arms, so he picked her up and carried her.  
  
When they reached the room, the first thing that Dai-syo did was order Samantha to see if any of her clothes fit. "Get her out of that thing." He pointed to her plugsuit. "She'll probably get a disease from that." Samantha nodded. "And we should probably get her washed up, too."  
  
"Why do I have to do everything?" Samantha demanded.  
  
"Because if I took her clothes off and put her in the bathtub, then went riffling through your clothes," Dai-syo said calmly, "then you'll scream and hit me and call me a pervert." Samantha blinked, nodded, and went back to taking Ariline's plugsuit off. Dai-syo turned to stare out the window. His eye caught on something in the distance.  
  
"That's the monster that came through here yesterday." He whispered. He risked a glance back at Ariline, who was now stripped to the waist. He spun quickly to stare back out of the window, both hands going to his nose. "Is that her Eva out there?"  
  
Samantha glanced out the window. "I hope she has it under control."  
  
The next day before breakfast the three of them hiked over to where Ariline had left Unit 16. The huge Eva lowered its head to the ground in greeting, and Ariline ran over to embrace its huge eye. Samantha and Dai-syo stared at it. Samantha out of awe, but Dai-syo from memory. Apparently Unit 16 remembered as well, for as soon as it turned to look at them, it snarled at Dai-syo.  
  
"No!" Ariline shouted. "They're friends!" Unit 16's eye spun to look at her, then back at Dai-syo. It snarled again and settled down.  
  
"So, what do we do?" asked Samantha. "I mean, will Unit 16 get upset if we destroy Adam?"  
  
"What?" demanded Ariline. "What do you mean, destroy Adam?" Unit 16 turned to peer down at Samantha.  
  
"That's what we have to do." Samantha told her. "So that mankind can evolve along its correct path."  
  
"But if you destroy Adam, Unit 16 will be-"  
  
"It's just an Eva." Samantha said to her.  
  
"No it's not!" Ariline flared. "It's not just an Eva! Unit 16 is my friend!"  
  
Dai-syo decided that it was time to step in. "Ariline, calm down. Samantha, stop making her upset. We can figure this out." He gestured for them to sit down.  
  
He turned to Ariline. "Ariline. We, Lillith's Chosen, have to go and destroy Adam."  
  
"Why?" asked Ariline. Samantha and Dai-syo exchanged a glance.  
  
"Because Lillith, the mother of Humanity, said so. She told us that in order for mankind to evolve beyond these inferior shells, we have to destroy Adam because Adam is restraining us." "But if you destroy Adam, Unit 16 will also be destroyed, because it is a clone of Adam." Dai-syo nodded. "Then I won't let you destroy Adam."  
  
"But Ariline, you're also one of Lillith's Chosen. You should understand." Ariline shook her head vigorously.  
  
"I don't understand. Why do you listen to this 'Lillith?' Lillith is an Angel, lost in Third Impact."  
  
Dai-syo and Samantha exchanged another glance. She had a point. Lillith should be dead, or at least passed on.  
  
They both turned as they heard a low growl. Ariline blushed. "Sorry. I haven't eaten in weeks." Dai-syo shook his head.  
  
"Then let's get you some food, and maybe then we can find out why you haven't eaten for long over the human starvation span."  
  
"LCL?" asked Samantha. Ariline nodded.  
  
"We use it to enhance the neural connection with the Eva." She told them. "I also found out that when a person's AT field collapses, they turn into that."  
  
"AT field." Samantha's eyes widened. "Lillith's blood!" The two turned to look at her. "People dissolve into the blood of Lillith when their AT fields go. But that means that they're using Lillith's blood in the Evas."  
  
Dai-syo nodded. "There are chunks of Lillith's body all over the planet. They must have gotten it from one of those."  
  
Ariline was turning green. "No wonder the plug always smelled like blood." She muttered. Then she brightened. "Thank you, for cleaning me up and feeding me and everything."  
  
Samantha smiled. "Thank Dai-syo. I would have just gotten a quick conversation out of you and dumped you somewhere. He's the one that insisted that we fix you up." Dai-syo blushed.  
  
Ariline walked over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "That's how we say 'thank you' where I come from." She whispered in his ear. His blush deepened.  
  
Samantha glared at her. "Can we get back to the original subject?"  
  
AN: Finally. You have no idea how long I've been trying to get those three together. Now how did one of Lillith's Chosen end up in a copy of Adam? 


	25. Alone

This chapter is for you, Keyblade, and everyone else who is wondering when the random mysteries will stop and the romance will start again. Thanx for the review.  
  
Disclaimer: N30N 63N35|5 3V4N631|0N P0WNZ0R3D 8Y H|D34K| 4NN0 & 64|N4X.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 24: Alone  
  
"Maybe if you paid more attention, this wouldn't happen."  
  
Takoru looked up at Lilliko. "If I paid more attention-" he cut himself off. He found it hard not to flirt with her. But he found it just as hard to get up once she hit him, so he was torn. "-then I would get bored so easily." He saved.  
  
She backed away from him and he sprung to his feet. He looked over at the metal beam he had hit, then at the girl standing next to him. "Well, he's gotten away." Lilliko pouted.  
  
"Ah well," said Takoru. "It's no fun without Misa-chan anyway."  
  
"They let her out today." Lilliko told him. He glanced at her. She nodded. "She's fine, only she can't pilot anymore because of Adam."  
  
Suddenly she perked up. "Hey! I think I know where' my brother's going. If we hurry we can still catch him."  
  
Takoru sat down, exhausted. "You Angels and your stupid S2 engines. Do you ever get tired?"  
  
Lilliko sat down next to him. "We don't get tired easily. I, however, have a short attention span."  
  
He nodded. He looked at his watch. "Oh. Have to get to football practice, or my friends will kill me. See you tonight for study?"  
  
She nodded as he got up.  
  
"You've been hanging out with Ayanami, haven't you." Tekazu accused him as they walked into the field. "I can just see it in your smile."  
  
"What?" Takoru demanded. "What do you have against Lilli-chan?" His teammates gasped.  
  
"Lilli-chan?" Tekazu asked. "You're not."  
  
"No, we're not." Takoru said. "I just like her, that's all." His teammates exchanged glances. "Look, if you have something to tell me, tell me."  
  
"You aren't spending any time with us anymore." Tekazu told him. "It was bad enough with Ikari, but now, we only see you at practice. She must have put some sort of spell on you, or mind-control."  
  
"I'm sorry, but-" Tekazu cut him off.  
  
"We want you to stop seeing that.that Angel."  
  
Unbeknownst to them, Lilliko was watching from the benches above the field. She had come to cheer Takoru on, but when she heard Tekazu, she froze in fear.  
  
"We want you to stop seeing that.that Angel." Her eyes widened, and she ran off before she could hear Takoru's reply.  
  
She got home and locked herself in her room. "Don't worry," she told herself. "He'll stand up to them. I know that he likes me, so it will be all right."  
  
She could hear her parents shout that they were leaving. They had planned to eat out with the Asuka and Shinji, to catch up on old times without having the kids around. So she would be alone with Adamu and Takoru.  
  
"He won't listen to them." She told herself. She had really been looking forward to this night, where she would have Takoru all to her self, and might finally be able to get her feelings for him worked out.  
  
Then her phone rang. She picked it up. "Lilli-chan?" asked Takoru.  
  
"Yes?" she said, trying to hide the trembling in her voice.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to come over tonight-" She snarled. He had betrayed her.  
  
"Fine!" she shouted into the phone. "I know how much you value your old friends over me. I understand, I'm just an Angel. I don't deserve your company." She slammed the phone down and began to cry.  
  
Adamu picked the lock on her door and entered her room. "Lilliko?"  
  
She waved for him to leave. "Go away, Adamu."  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked her. She waved at him again.  
  
"You wouldn't understand. You don't understand anything."  
  
"Apparently I don't, but you're upset, and I don't like to see you like this."  
  
"Then go away!" she used her AT field to push him out the door, locking it.  
  
He stared at the door, wondering what had gotten her so upset. Then, shaking his head, he returned to his own room.  
  
"I'm alone." She whispered into the darkness. "No one cares. Takoru just views me as another Angel, a thing to play with when he's bored. Mother and Father don't understand at all, and neither does Adamu. Why did I have to be born into this stupid family? Why am I the only one with human emotions, and I have to have this damn Angel body?"  
  
She pounded a fist against her core, only managing to hurt her fist. "Damn it!"  
  
She curled up as if to hide herself. "Alone." She shut her eyes.  
  
"I don't want to be alone." the darkness didn't answer, the room silent except for her soft sobbing. "I don't want to be left alone."  
  
Adamu could hear her crying through the wall that their rooms shared. He could hear her muttering, though he couldn't make out the words. He knew what she was saying, though. She had a deep phobia of being alone, of being isolated. Usually it was all right if he was around, but he knew that this time he couldn't help.  
  
"I do not understand what happened to her. But I know someone who will understand."  
  
He got up and ran out of the house, making his way across the city to the house that Misato lived in. He rang the doorbell.  
  
She opened the door, her eyes bleary as if she had been sleeping. "What is it, Adamu-kun?" she asked.  
  
"Something's wrong with Lilliko." She was immediately awake.  
  
"Wrong as in." he frowned, unsure of what to say.  
  
"Takoru." He said finally. "He was supposed to show up today for study," Misato nodded, "but he had to do something else." Misato blinked. "Lilliko took it badly."  
  
"Why couldn't you help?" she asked. "This must be a major emotional crisis."  
  
He sighed. "Misato, I know less about romance than a dead fish." Cold fish is more like it, though Misato.  
  
"I won't argue with you there." She said aloud. "What about your parents?"  
  
"Misato, my father hasn't felt pain or sadness since Ikari-san popped his head off, and my mother still doesn't know the difference between love and sex." (AN: what did you expect? It /is/ Rei we're talking about)  
  
She grabbed his hand. "Come with me." she said, dragging him into the night.  
  
"Why?" he asked. He couldn't help, he had no idea what to do.  
  
"Because I'm not dragging seventy-five kilograms of struggling football team captain through the streets at night all by myself."  
  
They got to Takoru's house and rang the doorbell. Hikari appeared. "What are you two doing wandering the streets at this hour?" she asked. Misato gulped. Out with Adamu, at night, alone.she could just picture how they must look.  
  
"There's something wrong with Lilliko." Misato told her. "We need to borrow Takoru."  
  
Hikari blinked, then nodded. She summoned her son, then watched as Adamu grabbed hold of the boy and started dragging him away.  
  
"Don't expect him back until morning." Misato told her. "No, we're not going to allow them to do anything intimate, but we'll need him for a while."  
  
She ran off. Hikari stared after them for a moment. "I'd better not find out that my son's living in sin." (AN: had to put that in.)  
  
"Let go of me!" Takoru said.  
  
"Only if you'll go into Lilliko's room by yourself." Misato told him. His eyes widened.  
  
"What?" she nodded.  
  
"Lilliko's hurt, and it's partly your fault." She told him. "Now you're going to go in there and find out what's wrong, and fix it."  
  
"But-" Then it hit him. The things she had said.  
  
He struggled out of Adamu's grip and ran to the Ayanami house. Adamu pulled open the door and the three of them ran up to Lilliko's room. The door was locked once again, and the sound of crying filled the air. Adamu picked the lock again and shoved Takoru inside.  
  
He shut the door and turned to Misato. "How long do we keep them in there?" he asked.  
  
"Until the moaning starts. Then we have to separate them." He stared at her. "Just kidding! I know Takoru better than that. Just keep them in their until the crying stops, then let them know that there's still people in the house."  
  
He peered at her. "How do you know all of this?" she grinned.  
  
"Television. My mother still has some old videos of the sitcoms that she liked."  
  
Inside the room Takoru sat down nervously beside Lilliko. "Lilli-chan-"  
  
"Don't call me that." She spluttered.  
  
"Lilliko, I'm sorry about not coming tonight,"  
  
"It's not that." She told him. "And you're not sorry, are you. I'm just an Angel after all."  
  
"I never said that-"  
  
"Not in so many words, no." she said bitterly. "I can tell that you were thinking it, though. But that's all right. You go spend your time with your friends, and leave me alone."  
  
"Lilliko," he grabbed her chin and turned her head to face him. Her red eyes gleamed in the dark, "I want to spend time with you."  
  
"Stop trying to flirt with me." she told him. "I know what you want."  
  
"Do you?" he asked. "I want to be with you, to have you by my side. To plot against your brother with you, to make jokes and argue with you. I'm sorry about tonight, I promised my friends that I would-"  
  
"Your friends." She hissed. "Your friends, not me. I'm not one of your friends."  
  
"Lilliko," he told her firmly, "you are one of my friends. No matter what you think, I do like you, a lot." Her eyes widened. He pondered his admission. It was true, he concluded, but was this the best time?  
  
However, his mouth, like the mouth of every Suzuhara male, went on without his brain. "I don't know if you feel the same way, but I think that I like you as more than just a friend."  
  
"Is that why you're always flirting with all the girls?" she asked, turning away. He blinked.  
  
"Lilliko, the only person I've flirted with is you." he told her. "And don't bring up Misato, she's like a sister to me, and I've never even tried for her."  
  
She turned to him, their faces millimeters apart. He grinned. "You know," he whispered, "if this were a movie or a tv show, then right now we would stare at each other, look into each other's eyes, and kiss." She growled.  
  
"You try anything and I'll kill you." she said. They continued to stare at one another.  
  
"You know I'm no good with words." He told her. "If I try and tell you verbally I'm going to screw it up." She continued to glare at him. "And I know that you're going to hit me when I say something stupid, and that would really ruin the moment."  
  
"Would you stop fooling around for a second?" she demanded. "That really hurt, you know. This afternoon hurt."  
  
"Look on the bright side," he replied, "if this afternoon hadn't happened, then I would never have admitted how I felt to you. Or to myself."  
  
She blinked, gaping at him. He decided that she looked silly with her mouth open and clamped his lips on hers. If she's going to kill me, he thought, it's worth it.  
  
He pulled back, waiting for painful death to claim him. "You idiot!" she exclaimed. "I'm trying to make you feel guilty for what happened."  
  
"And I'm trying to distract you." he told her. "Wallowing in self-pity isn't healthy, you know. Bitter people are no fun at all." He grinned at her. "Besides, you're a good kisser."  
  
She glared at him for a moment longer, then gave in. "You idiot." She repeated, leaning against him.  
  
"Do mind if I not say it right now?" he asked. "We'd probably be up all night listening to me make hash out of the language if you insist on it." She rolled her eyes.  
  
He disengaged from her. "I'd better go now, or my mother will give me her 'living in sin' speech." He opened the door to find Misato leaning in an awkward pose, her head pressed to where the door had been. She yelped and jumped back. He sweatdropped.  
  
He felt something grab his sleeve. He turned around to find Lilliko smiling shyly at him. "Could you stay?" she asked. His eyes widened. "Just, stay here, for the night."  
  
"Go on," Misato ordered, pushing Takoru back inside. "We promised your mother that you wouldn't be back until morning. I'd hate to disappoint her." The door slammed shut.  
  
Lilliko giggled. "Thank you, Takoru-chan. I just didn't want to be alone."  
  
(AN: No, no lemon, for several reasons. 1: They're 15. Too young. 2: I'm 15. Too young. 3: I don't actually know how old Layra-chan is, but her mind can't be older than 6- Whack! -okay, 6 1/2. Too immature.)  
  
"Well, that worked out fine." Misato said proudly. She turned to Adamu. "Thank you for your help."  
  
"I should be thanking you." he replied. She nodded.  
  
"Yes you should." There was an awkward silence. "So?"  
  
"What?" She gave him an exasperated wave.  
  
"Forget it." She said, and stormed out of the house, leaving Adamu staring after her.  
  
"What?"  
  
AN: I've been wanting to do that Takoru/Lilliko scene for a while. Now all I have to do is kill off some more of the Chosen and get Adamu and Misato together. And I need to deal with Samantha and Dai-syo and Ariline. I can't just have a random Eva/Angel lying around.  
  
And for those of you who actually understood the disclaimer and were not just reading it, remember: 1337 + 666 = 2003 


	26. Morning After

Keyblade: it will be a bit hard to get them together if I do decide to. He can be such a jerk some times, like most of my leading male characters. I guess I do need them to-I've said too much. Lord of Pencil: Don't feel bad if you don't understand. If you do understand, you're a better fan than I, cause I don't have a clue what's happening, and my muse isn't giving any hints. Ami: Glad you liked it. Thanx for the encouragement. For all of you who think that I'm writing too fast, I'll have to take a six- week hiatus starting next Sunday, and I don't like leaving my readers hanging, unlike some authors. Listening to the readers scream in suspenseful agony is nice and all, but I have my hearing to think about. Don't worry, it will end eventually. I hope.  
  
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is property of Hideaki Anno and Gainax.  
  
The characters Lilliko, Adamu, Misato Jr, Takoru, Isya, Rakota, Furiko, Dai- syo, Samantha, Ariline, Karles, Eletha, and the Eva units 14-20 are MINE! I'm not making any money off of this, though apparently I'm making a few people upset..  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 25: Morning After  
  
Rei put her ear to her daughter's door and listened. It was oddly silent. Her daughter talked in her sleep, quite candidly too, and was a very restless sleeper to boot. Usually there was a racket coming from her room at night. She carefully opened the door and peered into her daughter's room. Even in the dim light of 3 AM, she could see the two bodies curled up on the bed. They had their arms wrapped around one another. That explained why Lilliko wasn't thrashing about. Rei absently noticed that one of Takoru's hands had wandered downward a bit. As her eyes adjusted, Rei discovered the reason that Lilliko was silent. She hoped that Takoru breathed through his nose when sleeping, because they'd managed to fall asleep with their lips locked. (Layra-chan: Kawaii.) Fortunately Lilliko didn't need to breathe for her S2 engine to operate.  
  
Kaoru stuck his head in as well. "I was wondering when they would get around to this." He smirked. He closed the door and turned to his wife. "You know, that gives me an idea."  
  
Lilliko woke up, pulling out of the much-prolonged kiss. Her eyes were too blurry to make out the numbers on the clock. So she whistled in Takoru's ear. He woke with a start.  
  
"Gah!" he exclaimed. "Lilli-chan, it's 4:25 for crying out loud!" She smiled at him.  
  
"Thank you. I couldn't see the clock well from this angle." she said, and laid her head down against his chest, instantly asleep. He stared at her for a long moment, then sighed and placed his head against hers.  
  
"Lilliko, breakfast." Takoru woke up immediately at the word 'breakfast.' He suddenly realized whose voice it was. He shot out of Lilliko's arms and spun to face Rei, who was giving him an odd smile. "Morning, Suzuhara-san." She said nonchalantly. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Rei-Ayanami-san-" he spluttered, his face turning bright red. His hands began to twitch and he would have started to sweat if he hadn't suddenly gone cold all over. She continued to smile at him, "I mean, um.we didn't do anything-I mean-"  
  
"Would you like to join us for breakfast?' she asked, ignoring his attempts at explaining his presence. "I made plenty for all of us."  
  
"Be careful, mother." Lilliko called sleepily from inside the room. "Takoru- chan eats like a black hole." Suddenly the girl shot up. "Takoru-chan! Mother! I-we-" she turned even redder than Takoru. She grimaced, trying to straighten her rumpled clothes and glaring at Takoru.  
  
Rei thought they looked cute, both of them blushing so furiously. But to tell them that would be beyond wrong. Even Rei knew that much. "Join us when you're ready, Lilliko." Rei told her daughter. "Come, Suzuhara-san, I'd like to get to know you better if you're going to be Lilliko's boyfriend." She led the stunned boy down the stairs to the kitchen. (AN: if only all parents could be that understanding/unconcerned. Sigh.)  
  
"No offence," Takoru told his girlfriend as they strolled to his house, "but your mother scares me."  
  
Lilliko smiled. "She does that to most people. She just doesn't understand, that's all."  
  
"Or she understands too well." He muttered. They reached his house. He had managed to grab his keys before being dragged out the night before, so was able to get in.  
  
"I'm home!" he yelled. His sister Isya greeted them.  
  
"Welcome back. How was your stay at your girlfriend's house?" Isya asked with a giggle. Takoru blinked, not trusting himself to answer properly. Isya leaned in closer to him. "Tell me," she said in a whisper, "did you sleep with her?"  
  
Lilliko smiled. Apparently Takoru's sister had also gotten their father's habits.  
  
Takoru pulled back indignantly. "I'm appalled, Isya. To think that you would have such a dirty mind." Isya smiled, still waiting for an answer. "And for your information, yes, I did sleep with her. But not in the way you think." Isya's eyes widened artistically. "Not that way either!" She giggled, enjoying her brother's discomfort.  
  
Lilliko saved him by stepping forward. "Your brother was very nice." She told Isya. "You should be more appreciative of him." Isya nodded sarcastically. "You may have him back now, but I am expecting him again later tonight. Tell your mother, please." Isya's smirk widened and she began to pull Takoru inside. But the boy broke out of her grasp and gave Lilliko a parting kiss before going in.  
  
Hikari was waiting for them just beyond sight of the door. "How is she?" she asked, unable to keep the other questions out of her voice.  
  
"She was very upset with me when I got there," he told her, "but we worked things out." She nodded. "She fell asleep before we got anywhere." He assured her. She nodded again, slowly. "Mother!" he finally said, exasperated. "You've lectured us enough that I couldn't do anything with her even if I wanted to. Don't worry, we'll be long married before you have to worry about grandchildren." She nodded again, this time more confidently. Isya pouted.  
  
"So you really didn't do anything." She said, disappointed. Hikari shot her a disapproving look.  
  
"You've been spending too much time with your father." She told Isya. Isya stifled a yelp, knowing that she was about to get another lecture.  
  
"Misa-chan!" Misato smiled. Lilliko sounded like she was back to her old self. "Thank you so much!"  
  
"It was the least I could do for a friend." She said. "Did you thank your brother as well? He was a big help to me last night."  
  
"Yes, I thanked him." Misato's smile darkened slightly. There was that hint to Lilliko's voice again.  
  
"How?"  
  
Lilliko giggled. "I dumped a bucket of paint on him with the words 'thank you' written on the bottom of the bucket."  
  
Misato sighed. "Lilli-kun."  
  
"Don't worry, it's all right. He's already tripped me seven times today." Misato shook her head. There was no dealing with that girl. "Say, can you come over today?"  
  
Misato shook her head. "I'm still being interrogated about what happened in Adam's room." She looked down at the tiny bump on her core. "And they want to do a 'let's poke at the bomb until something happens' session. You know how NERV is."  
  
"That's what you get when a scientist is co-Commander." Lilliko replied. "Especially one like Dr. Akagi Ritsuko."  
  
Misato sighed. "I wish she'd spend her energy on something else, like getting Maya pregnant, or figuring out what to do with Unit 01 now that I can't use it, instead of poking Adam with electrodes. I can feel Adam's pain now too."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Eletha Siras. Twelfth."  
  
"Kales Sudermann, Sixth. So, you're the one who was calling me."  
  
"Good to meet you, Karles. Shall we go?"  
  
"Just like that?"  
  
"Why not? Surely you aren't one of those idiots who train all the time."  
  
"But what's the hurry?"  
  
"My mind is very sensitive, and Lillith is very loud. That's what's the hurry."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Katsuragi-san! We have two black AT patterns."  
  
"TWO?"  
  
"One from the east, one from the north-east. Both heading this way fast."  
  
"Get me visuals, now!"  
  
Two figures appeared. An eastern European boy armed with a glowing whip, and a dark-skinned girl surrounded by hovering spikes. Both of them were floating above the ground, skimming the air at incredible speeds.  
  
Suddenly the image of the girl exploded into static. "We've lost contact with the north-eastern sector." Reported the woman who had replaced Shigeru.  
  
"What about the eastern sector, Aria?" Misato strode over to her console. Aria Furiko entered a line of code and a map of the countryside east of Tokyo 4 appeared, a black dot shooting through it.  
  
"Arrival in twenty minutes."  
  
Misato popped open her phone. Seconds later Adamu picked up. "Adamu, is your sister or Misa with you?"  
  
"Lilliko's here. Misa is heading toward NERV right now." Adamu replied. "The girl is almost here. She's armed with AT spikes and is tearing up everything she can find."  
  
A scream echoed across the phone connection. "Damn! She got Lilliko!" The phone clicked off.  
  
Misato stormed out of the bridge and jumped into her car. "Let's see if I'm still as fast now as I was seventeen years ago."  
  
She quickly found Misa and yanked her into the car. As the two of them headed back toward NERV, Misato noted that her namesake was trembling. "Misa,"  
  
"It's Adam." Misa told her. "She's scared."  
  
AN: I know what at least some of you are thinking. 'Twelfth? You only mentioned seven AT fields.' Ah, but remember that Ariline was also one, so that's eight. And what of the other Evas? Maybe. But that still only comes to 11. My answer is: 'Ha ha. I'm just going to continue confusing you until I get all 15 of Lillith's Chosen worked out.' See if you can figure out why 15. 


	27. DoubleTeam

This is your brain: (picture of normal human brain) This is your brain on anime: (picture of brain having a nosebleed before getting sliced in half and stepped on by a giant robot)  
  
That was fun. Anyways, here's the part where I start making stuff up as I go along again, as I have no idea how to deal with two Chosen simultaneously.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Neon Genesis Evangelion, this wouldn't be a fanfic, this would be kickass movie. But I don't own it, so it's just a fanfic. Sigh. If it was a movie I'd been raking in the money too. But it's not, so I'm not. Sigh. Boo.  
  
Fourth Impact Chapter 26: Double-team  
  
"She's scared."  
  
Misa placed a hand over the lump on her core. "Don't worry, you'll be safe."  
  
Misato was having some difficulties ignoring the girl's crooning. Adam had stolen everything from her, and now her goddaughter was being taken by that damn Angel as well. But she kept on driving, knowing that more than her personal feelings were at stake.  
  
Lilliko shoved Eletha back, forming her AT field into a wall and flinging it at Eletha. Karles' whip shot out at her, but Adamu caught it before it could get to his twin. The four of them were held in stalemate for the moment, the Chosen unable to get past, the Nagisa twins unable to stop them. The Chosen were getting tired, but the twins were being pushed back with increasing velocity.  
  
The spikes smashed into Adamu's AT field, threatening to rip it apart. He tried to hold it, but the whip crashed down on him as well, and his AT field began to crack. Lilliko came up behind him and added her field to his, but that effectively cut him out of the battle. Eletha took the opportunity to slip past them both and fly towards the car.  
  
Misato yelped as a spike rammed through the hood of her car, impaling it into the street. Misa instinctively shot up her AT field around her and Misato, but the car itself was torn away, leaving them kneeling on the street.  
  
Eletha flew up to them, her spikes hammering against Misa's AT field. She was suddenly pulled back as Lilliko caught up to her.  
  
"The evolution will not be stopped. Adam must die."  
  
Takoru dashed into the attic of his house, opening a long chest. He pulled out the object inside. He was about to leave when he ran into his father.  
  
"Takoru, you're not going to-"  
  
"Yes I am, father." He told him. "And before you ask, it's not just because of Lilli-chan. This is the fate of the world. You understand." Touji nodded to his son.  
  
"We can take my car."  
  
Karles appeared beside Eletha. Adamu lay on the ground, covered in wounds. Karles looked into the spherical shield that was Misa's AT field and gasped. "It's just a girl." He said, shocked.  
  
"She has Adam in her." Eletha told him. "She must die."  
  
Karles held Lilliko back while Eletha pounded on the AT field. His whip finally caught Lilliko on the side of the head and she flew back several meters, unconscious even before she hit the ground.  
  
He turned back to Misa and, with an apologetic sigh, joined Eletha in smashing away at the field.  
  
"Adam, can you help?" Misa pleaded. "I don't want to die."  
  
A second AT field joined hers. Eletha snarled, and the two Chosen resumed their work, but the AT field held, much stronger than before.  
  
The spikes suddenly coalesced around the whip, and the joined AT weapon stabbed at Misa/Adam's field, pressing downward so hard that even with Adam's help the field began to weaken.  
  
"My power cannot be stopped, Adam." Eletha's voice was the same voice that had come out of Jenny. " I will end this war."  
  
Adam went from terrified to raging in less than a moment. "No you won't, Lillith. I will survive, and in doing so you will lose!" The AT field pulsed outward, driving the spike back. "And then I will kill you."  
  
Eletha screamed her fury, and Karles roared. The Chosen began to glow as Lillith's power infused them, their protective AT fields dissolving into their weapons.  
  
Then, a red spike shot out of Karles' chest. He gasped as the spike withdrew, then turned to face Takoru, who was holding a strangely shaped chunk of red in his hands.  
  
The wound glowed orange for a second, then closed up, but Karles' whip dissipated. Karles fell to his knees, his eyes filled with rage. "You.you are one of my children." Said Lillith's voice. "How could you betray me with." Karles' eyes went to Lilliko. "That spawn of Adam."  
  
"It's called love." Takoru said, "I thought all Angels were supposed to be, 'love you to death, literally,' freaks. You should understand."  
  
Karles shot to his feet, his whip shooting out. Takoru blocked it with his spike-thing, but Karles kept lashing out at him.  
  
Takoru suddenly remembered what happened with Jenny. The balloon had popped.and then it was over. The balloon must have been connected to Jenny's power.  
  
But what did Karles have?  
  
He stabbed at the Chosen, looking for something unusual. Then he saw it. A ring, the color of LCL. Jenny's balloon had been the exact same color. He had to try it.  
  
He jabbed at Karles' hand. Karles' defensive AT field shot up, but Takoru's spike pressed forward, easily piercing the field and taking off Karles' hand. Karles didn't even scream as his body fell apart into the blood of Lillith.  
  
Takoru turned to Eletha, who was still trying to break Misa's AT field. Eletha's weakness was easier to find, an orange pendant in her hair. Takoru took the spike and jabbed it into the pendant. Eltha dissolved just as quietly as Karles.  
  
Lillith's screams, however, were heard throughout the city.  
  
Takoru sat down abruptly, unable to stand anymore. Despite his athleticism, the spike was heavy. That's what he told himself, at least. The tears in his eyes said otherwise.  
  
Misa ran over to Adamu and Lilliko, checking to see if they were still alive. The Nagisa twins stirred groggily. Misa embraced both of them. "I'm so glad that you're all right." Adamu nodded, while Lilliko mumbled something. "Don't worry, Takoru killed them both." Lilliko suddenly shot into full consciousness.  
  
"What's Takoru-chan doing here?" she asked, rising to her feet. Misa steadied her, but Lilliko pulled away and stumbled over to her boyfriend. "Takoru-chan." she held him while he wept.  
  
"I killed them." He told her. "I came up behind them and killed them with a Splinter from the Lance of Loginus, just stuck it right through them." He dropped the Splinter and held onto his girlfriend.  
  
Misa slid over to them and whispered into Lilliko's ear. "They're in Lillith's heaven now." Lilliko told him. "Misa says so. They're in their heaven now, with Lillith and Jenny. Don't feel bad about them."  
  
Takoru nodded, slowly rising to his feet. Misa took this opportunity to examine the Splinter. Like the original Lance, it was dark red. One end had been carved into a crude handle, while the other end came to a jagged spike. It was an unrefined weapon, unlike the original Lance, but with a little work it could become a very good sword.  
  
"I ordered all of those destroyed." Misato said, disgruntled. He merely gave her an insolent grin in response. She threw up her hands and turned around, peering at the multitude of wreckages that had been her car.  
  
Takoru brightened. "Hey, does anyone here know how to use a sword? I could probably use some lessons."  
  
"I know how to use a katana." Lilliko offered. He glanced at her skeptically. "What? I'm not that flimsy."  
  
"Be careful." Adamu warned. "She's self-taught." Lilliko glared at her brother.  
  
Takoru shrugged. "Don't worry, we all know that she has an ulterior motive for 'teaching' me." Lilliko blushed.  
  
"The Twelfth and the Sixth are gone." Samantha stated, collapsing on the bed she shared with Ariline. "Even with both of them attacking, Adam still held them off long enough for them to weaken."  
  
"So, two isn't enough." Samantha shook her head.  
  
"No, two isn't." she agreed. "Now that Adam has merged with the false Messiah."  
  
"So, Lillith spoke to you too." Dai-syo mused. "Well, I doubt that simply getting another Chosen to join us will be enough." She nodded.  
  
Ariline stepped into the room, taking in the sober expressions of her roommates. "What happened?"  
  
Samantha's gaze met Dai-syo's. By unspoken consent, he was the one to speak. "Two more of Lillith's Chosen died. Less than an hour ago."  
  
Ariline blinked several times. Even from this distance she could feel Unit 16's vengeful satisfaction.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said. Samantha glared at her.  
  
"No you're not." Samantha snapped. "You're happy that there are now two less threats to your precious Eva."  
  
"Really, I am sorry." Ariline protested. "I mean, I don't want Unit 16 destroyed, but you two are in such obvious pain that." she trailed off. Shaking her head, she started again, "and Lillith's Chosen are people too, people who don't deserve to die."  
  
"Death is nothing but an obstacle." Dai-syo told her. "We are not afraid to die, but if we die before Adam is destroyed, then we will have failed. That's what we fear, failure."  
  
Ariline nodded, unsure, and stepped out of the room again. "I'm going to get lunch for us. I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
"Why do you insist on keeping her with us?" Samantha demanded as soon as Ariline was out of earshot.  
  
"Because." Dai-syo stared out the window to where the Eva was hidden. "I want to challenge Unit 16 again. We fought to a stalemate before. I want to finish that battle."  
  
AN: Gah! I keep trying to type Karen instead of Samantha for some reason. But the last Karen I created was nothing like her (except for the prancing around in her underwear singing bit.) I don't understand. Anyway, there was a sort-of revelation which I hope might explain Jenny's death a bit. I sure found it confusing. But then, who, honestly, who understood Evangelion the first time they watched/read it? Really. That's the good thing about writing fanfics for this series. You can make it completely nonsensical, and no one will really complain because the original Evangelion was nonsensical until the end, when everything made a bizarre, twisted, terrifying kind of maybe-ish sense. I'm hoping for something similar. 


	28. Romantic Interlude

That's what I told them. But they didn't believe me. 

Here are their eyes. {()] [()}

A quote from an odd friend of mine. Don't ask. 

Disclaimer: ~(Neon Genesis Evangelion)Î(DreyonLegacy's possessions)

Fourth Impact 

Chapter 27: Romantic Interlude (more like _lewd_, if you ask me)

Takoru slumped in the couch, Lilliko plopping down beside him. He used the last of his energy to wrap his arm about her, and lay in exhausted bliss as she leaned into him. 

Hikari smiled at them as she placed a tray laden with tea and cookies in front of them. "I take it that you've been training my son in the way of the sword." She said cheerfully to Lilliko. Lilliko nodded, reaching forward to grab a cookie. She shoved it into Takoru's mouth and grabbed a second for herself. Takoru gratefully began to chew. 

"He's a good student." She said, in no way betraying what they actually had been doing all afternoon.

(AN: No, they weren't doing _that_, you perverts. They were off pulling pranks, or in the arcade, or something. Not doing _that_.)

Hikari nodded knowingly. Takoru finally got the energy to sit up, grabbing another cookie and wolfing it down. "Great cookies, mother." He said, "As always." 

Lilliko nodded. "Yes, these are excellent, Suzuhara-san." Hikari blushed slightly. 

"Please, just call me Hikari. You're practically family." Lilliko nodded, blushing a bit herself. 

"Say," Takoru spoke up, "can I sleep over at the Nagisas' again? Lilliko says that she has some old books on samurais that she wants to go over with me."

"You're spending so much time there, you practically never sleep here anymore." Hikari complained. Takoru sunk into the couch a bit.

"It's sort of hard to get all cuddly and romantic with your girlfriend when you have three nosey siblings and a nosey father to deal with." Hikari sighed in resignation. She remembered her own experiences when she had been dating Touji. Touji might have wrung Shinji for information on his relationship with Asuka, but Asuka had done the same to her. 

"I suppose so. But I do want you here at least half of the week. You cannot move in with her yet. You're only fifteen." Takoru nodded, his joy only slightly dampened. Then he smirked.

"Well, then, I know what I want for my sixteenth birthday." 

Lilliko, who had been listening avidly to the conversation, finally asked, "And what would that be?"

He grinned ear to ear, knowing that he was going to get yelled at and possibly hit. "What I want for my birthday is that spot on the left side of your bed." 

"Takoru!" Hikari exclaimed as Lilliko turned red. He gave his mother an innocent smile.

"Don't worry, mother, I'm just going to sleep there. If I wanted something more I would have said the spot between Lilliko's legs instead." Lilliko turned an even deeper shade of red and slapped her boyfriend hard. 

"You're going to have to wait a few years for that one." Lilliko told him firmly. 

Hikari glared at her son, who only rubbed his cheek and smiled. Then he writhed over and planted a passionate kiss on Lilliko's surprised and defenseless lips. Pulling back he whispered, "It will be worth it." 

Whack!

"…torn by your departure,

when you left for the heavens,

with another in your arms…"

Dai-syo gave a loud, long-suffering sigh. "As much as I enjoy your voice, Samantha," the girl in question immediately stopped singing and turned to him, "do you have to sing about that particular subject right when I'm waking up?" 

Samantha smirked and placed the remote on the bedstand next to her. She swished over to him, and Dai-syo was once again forcefully reminded of how little she wore at night.

"I could sing sappy love songs instead." She murmured in his ear. "Or maybe not so sappy, but still plenty of love…" 

He pushed her away, his mind still fogged by sleep. "Please, not so early in the morning. Wait until I can see you, then you can get along with your campaign to seduce me."

"I'm sure that you can see plenty right now…" He pushed her away again and rubbed the sand from his eyes. 

"Another day, another hellish contest to see if I can stand your infernal American ways." 

She pouted. "You know, that doesn't sound very polite to me." 

He slid into a sitting position. "There's a difference between civilized and polite. I'm willing to settle for civilized where you are concerned." 

He glanced over at his other roommate, who was still sleeping soundly in one of his shirts. Samantha had gotten the idea into her head that his clothing was good for sleeping in, so had commandeered a shirt. Ariline, not knowing better, had followed suit. 

_At least they're long enough to cover everything, _he sighed to himself. Barely. 

He slipped out of his bed when Samantha left for the shower, and got dressed. He walked quietly over to where Ariline slept and stood next to her for a while, just watching her. She looked so innocent when asleep, curled up and clutching at the pillow. Her silky blonde hair spilled out behind her, over her small round shoulders and extending down to the smooth curve of her hips—

He forced himself to stop thinking like that. Otherwise… 

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. "Ariline…wake up." She sat up like a cat and turned to face him, her long hair slipping charmingly over one eye. She blinked sleepily. 

"Good morning." She said softly. He couldn't help but smile at her. 

"Good morning," he replied. She smiled back at him, still half-asleep, and he felt his heart suddenly speed up. His palms grew moist, and his face and neck grew hot. He couldn't think of anything to say, couldn't even breathe, could only stare at her warm, tender smile. 

He backed up instinctively as she swung her long, slender legs out of the bed and walked gracefully over to the drawers that held her clothing. His eyes still wide, he painfully tore his eyes away from her as she dressed. _Calm down, it's only Ariline._ He told himself. Ariline, even her name sounded pretty—

He could hear her closing the drawers and turned around. Wearing a plain but elegant blue sundress, she turned to face him just as a beam of light shot through the window and landed on her, highlighting her, making her look like a picture of the heavens. Their eyes met, Ariline's hair still covering one eye. 

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice full of gentle concern. He thought his heart would stop as she came up in front of him and placed a small hand on his cheek. 

"Nothing. Thank you." he managed to force out. Before he knew it he was reaching out and brushing the hair away from her sleepy eye. She smiled at him and nodded. 

"If there's anything wrong, please tell me." she said in her soft, musical voice. "I want to help you." 

Dai-syo hid a nervous gulp and nodded, unable to speak. She slowly lowered her hand and walked away, and Dai-syo's heart resumed beating. 

(AN: Okay, so I overdid it here. A lot. I wanted to establish it firmly for those of you who can't take hints.)

Misato opened her locker, expecting nothing but the usual books. She blinked as a small envelope poured out. She bent down and picked it up. It was covered in little red hearts, with her name on it in flowing script. There was no indication of who it was from. 

She nervously opened it to find a small slip of paper inside saying,

"I've always been too shy to admit my true feelings for you. But now I want to say them in person. Please meet me at the big tree in the park after school." 

She blinked again. Who could this possibly be from? All the boys in the school were afraid of her, as were all of the girls. Even the teachers held her at a distance. 

She slipped the envelope into her pocket and headed off for class.

Right after school ended she split away from Lilliko, saying that she had an errand to run. She made her way to the park and went straight for the big tree. She could see a figure reclining against the trunk, hidden by the shade. As she got closer, she gasped.

"It's not what you think." Adamu told her, not bothering to rise. "I got a letter too. Lilliko wrote them." Misato blinked, taking out her letter and examining it. "There are only two people that I know of with that kind of handwriting, and I'm the other one." 

Misato sat down beside him, brushing off some of the petals that fell on her. "What are we going to do?" she asked. "They keep pushing us, and pushing us." 

"They just want a cheap laugh." He told her. "They're only going to give up if we agree to go out." Misato rolled her eyes. 

Then her eyes shot open. She grinned. "I know how to get them off our backs, and make them look really stupid too." 

He turned to her, and their eyes met. They both glanced over to where they knew Lilliko and Takoru were hiding in the bushes. "And how would we do that?" 

"How good of an actor are you?" 

Takoru's eyes slowly widened as he saw Adamu pick Misato up and place her in his lap. As the pair came closer and closer together, Takoru grabbed Lilliko's arm and shook. "Give me the camera." He hissed. Lilliko looked at him with a confused expression. "Give me the camera, give me the camera!" She handed over the camera and he snapped a picture just as Misato's lips met Adamu's, surrounded by billowing blossom petals. Lilliko spun to watch them. 

"Oh my god…" she whispered. "I never knew! Takoru, how long have they been—"

"This is the first time I've ever seen anything." He replied, snapping picture after picture. "Are you sure they didn't just admit it right now?" 

"Takoru, Adamu knows our handwriting. Misato does too. They knew who would be here, and they came anyway." She told him. "They must have something between them." 

"At this distance that appears to consist of just a pair of thin pants and a very short skirt." Takoru said with a smirk, snapping another picture. 

"They are so dead." Lilliko giggled. "They must have been hiding this for who knows how long, and now we have evidence!" 

Takoru took another picture as the couple parted, focusing on where their hands were clasped. Finishing off the film, he brandished the camera in front of Lilliko. "Five copies." He told her, "We'll need five copies. One for her family, one for his, one for us, and one for them to 'destroy.' " Their eyes met in mischievous glee. "And one for the biggest, dumbest gossip in the school!" 

Misato pulled away from Adamu. "Misa-chan," he asked, "where did you get this insane idea?" 

"I got it from an old movie somewhere." She replied cheekily. 

"And how did this…prank end?" he continued. She shrugged.

"They keep it up for a month or two, eventually fall in love with each other for real, and reveal their joke to everyone." She answered nonchalantly. He groaned. "Come on, we can keep our distance if it makes you that uncomfortable."

"I just can't stand my sister being right." He told her. "She's wrong so often that whenever she's right, I feel so stupid." 

He got up, grabbed Misato's hand, and began to walk in the general direction of their houses. They were intercepted by Lilliko and Takoru, however. 

"Hello, brother." She said softly. "How are we today?" 

"Fine." Adamu replied, deliberately squeezing Misato's hand. He could almost feel his sister's gaze on where his fingers intertwined with Misato's. 

"I just developed some instant pictures of a wonderful thing we saw in the park." Takoru told them, holding out a bundle of pictures. "Want to take a look?" 

Misato shrugged, figuring it to be evidence of a big prank. Reaching out with her free hand, she took a look at the first picture. She was right, but would never have guessed the victims. 

"You—you—" she couldn't even think of the words to say. Adamu glanced down at the pictures, took them from her, and looked through each one. They had actually taken pictures of them! That was something they hadn't counted on. It would have been better if there had been no evidence to back up the crazy story Takoru and Lilliko would be telling. 

He took the stack of pictures and ripped each one into quarters, dumping them in the trash. "Nice try." He told them. "Better luck next time." He brushed past them, pulling Misato with him. "No one will believe that Misato's my girlfriend, and now you have nothing to prove it." 

Takoru and Lilliko exchanged a knowing glance. 

Adamu arrived back at his house after escorting Misato's to hers, and stepped inside, waiting for his sister's prying. "I'm home." He announced. But instead of his sister, he found himself face to face with his mother. She was holding an envelope and was looking at one of the pictures. 

"Welcome home, Adamu." She said cheerily. "I didn't know that you were such a romantic." His eyes widened. "I must say, you and Ikari-san have been really good at hiding this." 

"It's not—I mean…" he was interrupted as his father strode through the door. 

"I'm home." He went straight to Rei and engulfed her in his arms. Then he took a look at the pictures she was holding. "Adamu? How long has this been going on?" 

"But—it's just—" He felt the rage boiling up in him at his sister. She was going to pay for this. 

"You and Ikari-san make such a cute couple, though…" 

AN: busted! Next chapter, how do Asuka and Shinji react? And the kids at school, once the information's been filtered through several idiots? Find out next time, on Neon Genesis Fourth Impact! 


	29. Unit 21

In the corner of a small red house on a short one-way street, there is a hole that leads to a water pipe. Next to the pipe is a handle that, when pulled, reveals a doorway. Beyond that doorway is a small fortune in uncut diamonds. 

But that's completely irrelevant. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Eva. Despite what she might say, Layra-chan doesn't own Eva. I do happen to own some Eva shirts, a model of Unit 01, and all of the non-canon characters in this fic. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 28: Unit 21

"Young lady, you have a lot of explaining to do." Asuka glared at her daughter and waved the envelope full of pictures in the air. 

"Look, mother, you know how Lilli-kun and Takoru-kun have been trying to get me and Adamu-kun together?" Asuka nodded. "Well, don't tell them, but this is—" 

Shinji walked slowly into the room, his face livid. "I just got a call from Rei offering to take you and Adamu to a fancy restaurant this weekend." He said. "What's going on here?" 

"It's a misunderstanding…" Misato exclaimed helplessly. 

"I hope so." Shinji told her. "You're only fourteen, and I'm not letting my daughter get herself into this kind of thing." 

Misato began to sweat, unable to say anything in her defense. _You're going to die, Lilliko, Takoru. You're going to die slow and painful deaths!_

At school the next day, the kids got over their fear of Misato and bombarded her with questions just as she stepped into the classroom. Some questions though, Misato wasn't prepared to answer. 

For the record, it wasn't that she didn't want to answer them, it was just that they were questions that are never anticipated…

"No I'm not starting an Angel breeding program to take over the world!" she shouted for the umpteenth time. "I still have my dignity!" she spun to face another annoying interviewer. "And I'm not pregnant with an Eva!" she flared. "I am, however, getting very, very ANNOYED!" the old fear of her finally set in again and the crowd backed away. 

"I must say, she's taking it better than I thought she would." Takoru remarked slyly. Misato spun to face him, bloody death burning in her eyes. 

"Suzuhara Takoru Horaki, you are going to pay for this!" she stormed over to him, her fingers clenching and unclenching as if she were already holding his throat. 

"Oh, come on," he said sweetly. "It's fair turnabout for keeping your relationship a secret for so long and making us spend all that energy trying to get you together." 

"If you had paid a bit more attention," she hissed, coming up to him, "I wouldn't have to kill you right now." She punched him and he flew back into Lilliko, who caught him with a chuckle.

"You're sure getting worked up about this." 

She glared at the blue-haired girl. "I just barely escaped getting grounded by my parents," She told Lilliko, "when they found out about the pictures and your mother offered to take us to a romantic restaurant." A chorus of 'oohs' came from behind her. She shot a glare at the kids and they quieted. "And now I get to class, and find out that some idiot has been spreading perverted rumors about me!" she stomped over to Lilliko and slapped her, hard. 

"I would have punched you too, but my hand still hurts from your boyfriend's iron-ball of a head." She spun and strode over to her seat, slamming her AT field down about her. 

While Lilliko stared at the girl, her brother came up behind her and tripped her, sending her sprawling onto Takoru. He yelped as she landed on him in an indignant heap. "Just to let you know, I'm not too happy either." Adamu said, stepping into the classroom. A single dark glare from him silenced the other students. 

The pilot looked up at the screen in front of her. All she could see was the LCL. She could hear all the noise outside, though. And she could hear Lillith. 

She sighed. Her activation test had been postponed because of the berserkers, and now that they were finally 'ready,' the Eva had slipped into hibernation. It all felt so silly.

A loud pounding came from her right as the last of the restraints were roughly smashed into place. A voice fuzzed in on the audio link, "So, are you ready, Tenya?"

Tenyana Selvanski nodded. "Ready." She could hear Lillith also getting ready. 

"Begin activation sequence." Tenya could feel the jolts of electricity race up and down her spine from where she herself had fiddled with the wiring. Lillith's last four attempts at taking an Eva had failed, mostly because Lillith had little knowledge of human technology. Tenya, however, had more than enough. Unit 21 would be subservient to Lillith, even as Tenya was. 

"Sync ratio at 56 and climbing." Tenya closed her eyes, letting Lillith take control of her mind, and thus the Eva. Unit 21's eyes flared as Tenya's body began to fall apart. Tenya suppressed a scream as her body dissolved in Lillith's blood, her soul floating free. 

"Pilot signs disappearing!" They had caught on to her. "Signals rejected! Sync ratio at 198 and climbing rapidly!" 

Unit 21's mouth broke out of the restraints and it let out a roar, its arms tearing free and swinging wildly. The umbilical cord was pulled out, but Unit 21's S2 took over immediately. Flesh shot from the Eva to join to the S2 just as the fuse between the S2 and the Eva exploded. The Eva was alive.

Lillith slid her awareness into her new body as Tenya's disappeared completely. Then the mother of humanity turned to the control station and with a flick of her wrist destroyed it.

AN: Do you think I should end the chapter here? I mean, I doubt that the rest of the chapter will be nearly as—

Whack!

All right, all right, more story. Hmph. 

Sirens went up. "We've lost another facility, this time the East Russia one." Misato turned to her co-commander and shook her head.

"Another berserk Eva?" she hazarded. Ritsuko nodded grimly. "Has it metamorphosed yet?" 

"Not yet, but it took out the entire facility. With a vengeance." Misato groaned and chugged down a beer. She looked up at the ceiling, which had been covered in flowers at her goddaughter's six-year-old insistence. Though the flowers had eventually disappeared, the room still smelled like a wild field, and was awfully distracting in the sterile NERV headquarters. 

"I don't trust this." Misato muttered. "We should never have given the other facilities autonomy under the UN." 

"We should never have authorized the construction of more Evas." Ritsuko pointed out. "But we needed the money." Misato groaned again.

"And I need another beer." She opened a special cabinet that she had built into the Bastard's desk and pulled out a dew-covered can. After chugging it down, she looked Ritsuko straight in the eyes. 

"We need to evacuate Tokyo 4." 

AN: Another good stopping point—

Whack!

"Takoru, where are you?" Hikari demanded. 

Isya stuck her head into her brother's room. "He's gone to his girlfriend's place!" she called down to her mother. 

Hikari frowned and grabbed the phone, calling Takoru's cell. "Hey, Suzuhara Takoru here. What can I do for you?"

"Takoru," Hikari said, trying to keep her voice level, "get back here right now and pack up your stuff." 

"I'm not going with you." he said softly. Hikari's eyes widened, as did his father's, who was listening in the kitchen.

"What do you mean, not going with us?" she asked slowly. 

"I'm staying with Lilli-chan's family, the Nagisas. Mother, I'm part of the team. I need to stay here and help fight Lillith's Chosen." 

"Takoru, you're only a human being." Her mother almost shouted into the phone, "You're vulnerable." 

"Not with the Sword." He countered. "It blocks anything. I'll be fine." 

"Takoru," Touji said calmly, "you aren't doing this because of Lilliko-san, are you?"

Takoru bit his tongue. "I'm doing it for everybody." He finally replied. "I'm doing it for you, and mother, and Isya, and Rakota, and Amika. And I'm doing it for my friends on the Track team, and all of my classmates. I'm doing it for all the people in NERV, and I'm doing it for all of the people who have made Tokyo 4, and live here, and are depending on me. And I'm doing it for everyone on the planet, and everyone still in the Sea of LCL. And I'm doing it for the Ikari family, and the Nagisas," he sighed into the phone, "And yes, I'm doing it for Lilli-chan. I'm doing it for everyone." 

Silence.

Hikari paused, unable to speak. She'd never heard such resolve, such determination in her son. Touji was equally shocked. 

Finally, it was Amika who broke the silence.

"Be careful." She whispered, nestled in her sister's arms as they listened from her Isya's room phone. 

Takoru could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. "You too." He managed to force out. "You too." 

No one knew who put down the phone first, but they were soon disconnected, perhaps for eternity. 

Takoru turned to his girlfriend, who had been listening from the other side of the room. She nodded and put her arms around him. 

"You'll see them again." She promised. "I'll make sure that you will." He nodded. "In the meantime, we need to get revenge on Misa-chan and Adamu-chan. No one slaps me." 

AN: I have an odd tendency to insert cute little girls into my stories. No, it's not a sign of anything Freudian, I just like to have a certain level of cuteness, no matter how grim. Of course, sometimes the cute little girl dies, and that brings the grimness factor way up. Sad. 


	30. Lillith and Rei

This is a test of the Emergency Disclaimer System. This is only a test. In case of a real emergency, please go to you local previous chapter and read the instructions under the heading 'disclaimer.' You are now returned to your regularly scheduled inane babble—I mean chapter. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 29: Lillith and Rei

A growl tore its way out of Misato's throat. "You are not going to say anything about this. You are going to give me those pictures, and you are going to destroy the originals. Is that clear?" 

Takoru grinned at her from where he was pinned to the wall by Adamu. "I don't have the originals. You tore them up."

"Then get me all of the copies." 

"Your parents have a copy, and I am not taking _anything_ from Soryu-san. I like my head firmly attached to my shoulders, thank you very much. The other copy is with the Nagisas, and frankly, they scare me. The last copy is in Lilli-chan's room, and you'll have to talk to her to get them." 

"There's one more copy." Adamu said, shaking Takoru. Despite being younger, Adamu had a lot of upper body strength, bolstered by his malleable AT field. Takoru was completely pinned, unable to move from the neck down. Lilliko thought that he was buying her some drinks. 

"There's one more copy, that ended up in the hands of a school gossip. You will get that one at least." 

"The damage is done." Takoru told him. "I mean, now everyone knows that you two have been going out for months. Even if you get the pictures themselves, they all know." 

"Fortunately, they're evacuating." Adamu said. "Now, you are gong to get those pictures. I don't care if everybody knows, you are going to get them, even if you have drag my sister along." He shook Takoru so that his head bobbed up and down as if nodding. 

"All right! But don't blame me if something large, squishy and wet lands on you tomorrow." Adamu dropped him. Gasping for breath, he smiled at Misato. 

"Any other demands?" he asked. Misato nodded as an idea came to her.

"I want you to get Lilli-kun very, very mad at you. Get her to the point that she's hitting you with both hands, then run. And make sure that I can see." He gulped. First thing his father taught him when he'd hit puberty: never make her mad and run away. Make her mad, or make her run away, but never make her mad then run away. 

"See you, and those photos, tomorrow." Misato and Adamu walked away, leaving Takoru wide-eyed and terrified. 

"That will teach him." Misato muttered. "That will teach both of them." 

Adamu nodded. "You know, I'm not so sure that this is a good idea anymore. I mean, it sounded good when you first said it, but now…"

"Don't worry." Misato reassured him. "We only have to deal with them. By the time the others return, either they'll have forgotten about it or we'll have officially broken up." She didn't sound too happy about the latter option. When she heard him sigh, though, she perked up. 

"Come on, Adamu. Cheer up. Every relationship goes through this kind of thing." He glanced at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Really?" She took on a thoughtful expression for a second.

"No." she admitted, not sounding the least bit remorseful for lying to him. "Most of the time they're not bogus. Or torn out of a several-month hiding period." She grinned. "If you're upset about that, think of it this way, at least you have a girlfriend." 

"That just means more people pestering me about topics I'd rather not talk about."

"You don't want to talk about anything." Misato countered. She grabbed his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Just, try to enjoy it." She told him. "While it lasts." She sighed happily. "You're my first boyfriend, you know." She said softly. "You're my first kiss and my first boyfriend, even if it was all playacting." 

His eyes widened. "Your first boyfriend? What about Takoru?" She burst out laughing.

"That idiot? Oh, lord, that would have been horrible! For one, neither of us is the other's type, and two, we think of each other as siblings." She gasped suddenly. "And three, my mother and his father would be at each other's throats bugging each other about it!" She stopped walking, caught in racking laughter. "That would have been one of the few things that could piss off both my mother _and_ his father, other than us killing each other."

He tried to stop a grin, but her laughter was contagious. She just had a warm, silvery laugh that pulled you in, invited you to join the fun. He let out a chuckle. "Knowing them, I guess it would." 

She finally managed to regain control of herself and took his arm again. "Come on, _boyfriend_. I need something cold to drink. My throat's sore from laughing so hard." 

"You did what?" Lilliko shouted. Takoru cowered away from her.

"I'm sorry! I thought it was longer than that!" she snarled and swatted at him.

"I can't believe you! How could you do that, Takoru-kun? How could you?" she seemed on the verge of tears, and he was starting to regret agreeing to Misato's demand. But as he had said to her, he liked his head firmly attached to his shoulders. At this point, however, it didn't look so much like whether he was going to be decapitated or not and was starting to look more like by whom he would be decapitated by, his friend or his girlfriend. 

"It was an accident! I swear!" he went over his plan one more time, reviewing his carefully chosen lines. "I can buy you a new one—" Perfect. Her eyes flared blood red, her fingers curled into talons, and her AT field began to shimmer into existence around her. And she struck, slamming a fist into his face and knocking him back. He stumbled a few steps, counting the seconds until her other fist smashed into his stomach. He turned to run when another blow caught him in the cheek. 

"BUY ME ANOTHER ONE?" she demanded. "That is the last straw, Takoru!" And he began to run, and she began to chase him, and Misato burst into tearful laughter. Adamu tried to suppress his own laughter in favor of holding the video camera steady. 

"Before you ask, I'm not making copies." He told Misato, unsure if she could hear anything over her insane giggling. "I will not sink down to their level." 

She just nodded, unable to respond verbally. 

When the two of them disappeared, Adamu turned off the camera. "That was a lot better than I expected." He remarked. Misato nodded, letting out a few last titters. 

"Takoru is a master at making people upset. He can cause someone to go from deliriously happy to homicidal psychopath in only a few seconds if he really tries." 

Adamu turned to face her. "Let me guess, you were on the receiving end of that?" she nodded again.

"You have no idea how much damage I caused. Three months, that's how long he was in the hospital. And I was still mad at him." Her hand clenched suddenly. "I guess I still am, a bit." 

Takoru finally managed to get out of his girlfriend's reach by climbing a tree. "Lilli-chan, please, listen to me!" 

She shook the tree but was unable to dislodge him. "Please, Lilli-chan! I was faking!" 

She abruptly stopped. "Faking?" he nodded desperately.

"I didn't really break it. It's still on your shelf, where it always was, intact and untouched." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Look, Misato and Adamu are really upset about the pictures, and they insisted that I get all the copies, _and_ make you mad at me as retribution. Please, I was just doing that because I want to live long enough to watch our children grow up." 

She waited as he slowly climbed down. "We're going back to my room, right now. And if there is a single scratch on it, you are dead, Suzuhara Takoru. Dead!" She grabbed his arm. "And don't think that you will go unpunished for this. You have no idea how much I hated you for the past ten minutes, even if you were just faking."

"See? It's still in one piece." He told her. She nodded, placing it back on the shelf. She then hurled herself into the huge stuffed bear he had won her at the carnival. She wrapped its around her and snuggled into it.

"So, how are we going to get back at them?" she asked. 

"I'd rather those were my arms around you." he said softly. Then he shook his head to clear it and hoped that she hadn't heard. "Anyway, we need to find out how they managed to hide it for so long." She nodded. 

"And then what?" she asked. "Once we pry that information out, what do we do?" 

"We set them up on the most embarrassing date possible. Maybe a sleepover, with Misato." He grinned. "Lock them in a closet naked, perhaps?" 

"Takoru, they already are together. Locking them in a closet would just get Misato's parents mad…at…them…" she smirked evilly. "Sounds good." 

Unit 21 roared, its restraints snapping off. Metal chunks and wiring fell off to reveal alabaster skin. As the skin began to sag, almost dripping, Lillith suddenly realized that she needed a form, more than just a shapeless blob of flesh. Desperately searching her memory for a body, a shape to hold herself, she came across one. 

In the bay outside Tokyo 4, the giant head of Lillith/Rei began to fall into itself as if being sucked in from the inside. In other parts of the globe the rest of Lillith/Rei's body did the same, gradually disappearing altogether. 

Deep in the bowels of NERV, Kaoru spun to see his wife collapse screaming. Her flesh writhed and heaved as if trying to tear itself from her body. 

"No!" she cried out. "Lillith, no!" 

He grabbed her up and began to carry her out of the shadows. 

Unit 21's white skin began to move and writhe, the hips widening, the chest bulging out. Hair poured down from the top of her head, stopping at the curve of its slim jaw. The sharp protrusions on the Eva softened into feminine curves. Wings shot out of her back, down her spine, from the backs of her legs, lengthening almost absurdly. And a pair of red eyes opened. 

She shot upward, carelessly smashing her way through layers and layers of armor, crashing out through the top of the mountain and into the sky.

Their moment of vengeful mirth shattered as an alarm went off. The phone rang and Takoru snatched it up. "TAKORU! LILLIKO! WHOEVER'S THERE, WE NEED YOU AT NERV, NOW!" Takoru winced as the sound of Commander Katsuragi's voice rang in his ears. 

"We're coming." He said painfully, and put down the phone. Pulling Lilliko out of the bear's embrace he started off toward NERV. 

They reached NERV to find Misa and Adamu already on the bridge. Misato was pacing back and forth, a beer in one hand, the phone in the other. 

She stopped suddenly as Makoto yelped. "AT field, pattern Blue!" 

"Get me a visual." She snapped. A picture appeared, a white dot in the center. The camera zoomed in, but they still couldn't make out the shape. 

Suddenly the door to the bridge shot open and Kaoru stumbled in, Rei screaming in his arms. Everyone turned to them as he lowered Rei to the ground. Her skin was still shifting wildly and her blood red eyes flickered. 

"Get me a sedative." Dr Akagi ordered. "And find something to tie her down to." 

Their efforts ceased as a fountain of LCL erupted from Rei's mouth. 

"Sir!" Makoto shouted. "We have a clear picture!" 

Misato turned and sucked in a breath. Shooting rapidly toward Tokyo 4, wings glinting in the afternoon sun, was the Second Angel, the Mother of Humanity, once again wearing Rei's form. 

AN: well, here it is. The promised six-week hiatus plus cliffhanger. Now I'm off to talk mathematics with a bunch of nerds and geeks for six straight weeks while subsisting on soda and sugar packets. Story of my life. 

For those of you who enjoyed my nearly daily updates, sorry. For those of you telling me to slow down, this is what you asked for. 

Layra-chan, do you—Layra-chan! Put that down! I mean it! Put that down or I'm taking away your flamethrower privileges! Now, do you have anything to say to the readers?

Layra-chan: can't wait for camp. Six-weeks living on soda and sugar packets! YAY!

DreyonLegacy: *rolls eyes* anyway, it's been fun. 

So long, farewell, goodbye, goodnight, see you later, take care, hasta la vista, vale, sayonara, ja ne, and last but not least, et cetera. 


	31. First and Second

Hey, everybody. I'm back…and relatively intact…-ish. If this chapter doesn't make any sense, it's not because I'm trying to confuse you. *waits for surprised gasps to end* I'm really sleep depraved right now, and my head hurts, and a bunch of other stuff, so I can't think very clearly. I just did at least a year's worth of college level math in six-weeks. I know how to prove Quadratic Reciprocity! Take that! 

More rambling later. 

Disclaimer: I'd tell you that I own NGE, but then I'd be lying.

Last time, on Fourth Impact:

…"Lillith, no!" 

…"TAKORU! LILLIKO! WHOEVER'S THERE, WE NEED YOU AT NERV, NOW!"

…Their efforts ceased as a fountain of LCL erupted from Rei's mouth. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 30: First and Second

Shooting rapidly toward Tokyo 4, wings glinting in the afternoon sun, was the Second Angel, the Mother of Humanity, once again wearing Rei's form. 

Misato spun to face the new Children. "Lilliko, Adamu, Takoru, get to the Evas. Now!"

Lilliko shook her head, her eyes wide and full of tears. "No…mother…" She looked back and forth between the huge white Angel flying toward Tokyo-4 and the now quiet but still writhing Angel lying behind her. "I can't fight…it's wearing mother's body…"

"That's not your mother out there." Misato told the girl. "We need you out there."

Lilliko still refused to move. Adamu had more resolve though. Grabbing Takoru, he dashed out of the bridge toward the changing rooms.

A few minutes later Unit 18 and Unit 20 shot to the surface just as Lillith came into view. Takoru stared at the creature that looked just like his girlfriend…he looked away as blood began to seep into the LCL from his nose. 

"Hey!" Lilliko shouted from the bridge. 

Adamu raised the pallet gun and began to fire. As expected, the bullets just bounced off the AT field that flung up as soon as he shot. 

In return a wall of force came down at him, pushing him back. Takoru was knocked aside by a second wall. 

"Damn!" Takoru shouted, firing wildly. 

He charged at Lillith, firing as the Second Angel landed. Lillith brushed him aside, and took to the air as Adamu swung an ax at her. She came down again on the other side of him and landed a kick to the back of Unit 18's head, sending it spinning away. 

Takoru threw a spear at her, then his knife, but she dodged both and fired another AT field-wall at him before taking to the sky again.

"She's too mobile. Take out her wings." Misato commanded. "Be careful, Rei was a master of hand-to-hand combat, and Lillith surely has her memories in addition to her body."

As if to emphasize Misato's point, Lillith slammed an elbow into Unit 20's face, knocking him back. He fell onto a weapon storage box as it shot out of the ground. He quickly opened it and pulled out…a progressive sword with a disturbing blood-red edge. 

Upon closer inspection, he saw that the red lining was actually made out of tiny, jagged chunks. His eyes widened. 

"This will help." He turned to see Adamu slamming a progressive knife down on Lillith's AT field. Using Lillith's distraction to his advantage, he crept up behind her. 

He raised the sword over his head, his Eva letting out an involuntary roar. Lillith turned to face him as he brought the sword down. She screamed and flung up an AT field, but the Splinters of the Lance of Loginus cut through easily, slicing through her wings. 

In return Lillith dropped into a crouch and kicked Unit 20's legs out from under it, then spun around, flipped up and smashed both feet into Unit 20's chest. Unit 20 roared as the sword flew from its grip and fell into the lake of LCL. 

"No!" 

On the bridge Rei had stopped moving completely, the only signs of life being her barely audible whimpers. Kaoru knelt by his wife, looking up at the screen. 

Misa had her eyes glued to the fight, watching Units 18 and 20 get flung around like rag dolls. 

"I have to do something." She whispered. 

_I can help._ Her eyes shot open wide at the sound of Adam's voice. _Relax your AT field, and I can get to one of my copies. I can give it enough power to defeat the Second. _

"But—"

_Trust me. I only want to survive._

She could feel the tugging of the First Angel at her soul. Closing her eyes, she nodded. 

Several heads spun to see Misa rise off the ground, eyes glowing red, skin glowing black. Her core pulsed rapidly and her mouth opened in a silent scream. 

Adamu looked up to see the glowing figure in the plug with him again. "I need this copy." Adam told him. "You must leave.

"Why should I trust you?" He could feel the eject mechanisms activating.

"Unlike the Second, I will not absorb my Children just to gain power. You must leave." The glowing figure disappeared.

"Commander! We are getting ejection signals from Unit 18!" Misato turned just in time to see the entry plug shoot from Unit 18's back. It sailed through the air, plunging into the lake of LCL. 

Meanwhile, Unit 18 was going through some changes. The restraints shot off in all directions, leaving the Eva bare. Just like Unit 21, Unit 18 began to change shape, becoming more and more human. Its chest bulged, as did its hips, while its waist narrowed. Long hair flowed out from its shifting head. The harsh face grew softer, more feminine. The Eva's stance grew more confident as muscles shifted into place. 

Everyone on the bridge stared in shock at the scene that lay before them.

A pitch-black Asuka faced off against an alabaster white Rei. 

AN: I could end the chapter here. I should end the chapter here. I should end the chapter here and leave you for another month wondering what the hell just happened. 

But I won't. Because my head hurts. That made no sense.

Adam yanked a progressive knife out of her shoulder and charged at Lillith. Lillith did the same, slashing at Adam with all her might. Their AT fields shot out, orange and blue light filling the air and tearing through buildings. 

Misato stared at the screen. The two looked just like the First and Second Children, color aside. They looked, moved just like them, even used the same fighting techniques, Lillith's silent and graceful, Adam's strong and quick. And they were trying to kill each other. 

Misa had collapsed, and had been moved next to Rei. Asuka sat between them, on the verge of tears as the two women closest to her heart lay on the brink of death. "I feel so helpless!" she wailed. 

"How do you think I feel?" everyone was shocked by Adamu's exclamation. "That's my mother and my girlfriend lying there, and I love them both. But I can't do a thing. I can't see, I can't hear what is going on outside this stupid plug! I'm supposed to be piloting the Eva to save them, but now all I can do is wait. I hate this!" 

Asuka looked up at the screen to see a kindred spirit across the one-way video feed. Adamu hated feeling helpless just as much as she did. _Misa-chan, you picked a good one._

(AN: Irony, eh? They'd make the perfect couple, don't you think? But they're just lying to everyone.)

Adam shot forward and slammed into Lillith, knocking them both to the ground. They slid several blocks, clawing at one another. 

"Stop staring you perverts!" Asuka shouted at the NERV faculty. They all looked away guiltily. 

Takoru slowly forced Unit 20 to its feet and stared at the fight, before spinning away. It was one thing to fight a giant replica of one's girlfriend. It was quite another to see said replica and another giant replica of one's best friend trying to kill each other while wearing nothing but AT fields. 

He ducked as a chunk of flying debris slammed into the building beside him. He couldn't see them, but he could the results of the deadliest fight that the world had ever experienced. He could feel the energy radiating off of the two, and got a sinking feeling that if the fight lasted much longer, Japan would be sunk.

Adam grabbed Lillith's neck and began to squeeze. They both knew full well that that would never kill her, but it stopped Lillith from attacking as she clawed at her throat. A knee slammed into Adam's stomach and she dropped the Second Angel. The two slid back and glared at each other, Adam's core pulsing bright red in counterpoint to Lillith's glowing blue core. 

A roar erupted from beneath the ground. Unit 01's eyes lit up. More equipment shattered. 

"Unit 01 has activated!" Maya shouted. "It's moving toward the catapults!"

Misato spun to glance at the technician, then at her goddaughter. She spun back to face the screen. "Who's piloting?" 

"No pilot." Maya reported. "It's being controlled from outside."

"Lillith." Kaoru hissed. "Lillith is controlling Unit 01." 

Misato could only nod, opening an audio link to Takoru. "Takoru! Get ready to fight Unit 01. It's under Lillith's control." 

"Damn. Right." Takoru replied. He grabbed the pallet gun that lay beside him and caught the knife that rocketed up from the ground nearby. He waited as the people at NERV tried to determine where Unit 01 would appear.

Suddenly the beast appeared behind him. He spun just as Unit 01 roared and grabbed his arms. He kicked Unit 01 in the stomach, narrowly missing the core. The beast fell back and Takoru began to fire. An AT field sprang up between them, but Takoru managed to wrench open a hole and shoved the knife in, piercing Unit 01's chest. In return, Unit 01 twisted his arm, dispersing the field, and leapt forward, biting down hard on Unit 20's neck. 

"Cut nerve connections!" Takoru suddenly went blind and deaf as he was forced from the Eva's consciousness. He sat in the lukewarm darkness of the plug, feeling the shockwaves as Unit 01 tried to bite through the thick neck armor. 

"When Unit 01 stops biting him, get the connections back on as soon as possible. We need him to be able to fight." 

Unit 01's jaw only tightened around Unit 20's neck, slowly breaking through the armor. There came a tremendous crunch as the neck armor began to give way…

AN: Now this is a horrible place to stop. It's one thing to stop when the bad guy is about to slice our poor hero in half, and quite another when the sword's already between his ribs. In the first scenario, at least the hero has a chance to block. Oh well. 

I'll write more when my brain returns, or at least once Layra-chan calms down. Stupid muse. She wasn't actually in the PROMYS program, so while I had to sit around doing work and killing my head, she got to read up on complex analysis. Yes, I'm envious. Very. 

Maybe next year.

In the meantime,

"Doctor says I's got dain bramage."


	32. Heaven, Hell, and Chaos

In case you were wondering when the fighting would stop, this is the last chapter of the really big fight between the really big girls. The last chapter was just to get everyone in position for one of the most confusing chapters of the story. Yay. 

Disclaimer: If this statement is true, then I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Fourth Impact

Chapter 31: Heaven, Hell, and Chaos

"Where am I?" she asked, looking around. She got up, absently brushing herself off. 

"Mother?" She spun to see a truly disturbing sight. A white tentacle hovered before her, with a tiny face at one end. The other end connected to a white sphere the size of a large dog. Yet every moment the thing would shift into the form of a little girl made of light, then back. "You seem…different." 

"Careful, Sixteen!" Misa turned to spot a white bird above them. The bird fell, shifting into the shape of another girl, then back into the birdform. "This is not Mother."

"But Fifteen, it has Mother's soul." The tentacle-thing protested.

"That's not Mother." Another voice agreed. Misa spun around, but could see nothing. Then a black and white striped sphere appeared, flickering into a pitch-black young woman, then back into the sphere. "You would do well to avoid it."

"Twelve is correct, Sixteen. You've never met this lillim before, but this is the one that defeated so many of us." Misa spun to face a huge spider with a single eye on its belly. 

"Who are you?" she cried out as more figures approached. "Where am I?" 

"Now you've gotten Mother upset." The being known as Sixteen told them. The figures all backed away. 

"Wait." A formless mist surrounded her. "What are you, nephilim? You are of the lillim, yet you are nephilim. You have Mother within you." 

Then came laughter. "You cannot tell!" said a very young-sounding voice. "This is the child of the false Messiah! The grandchild of the one who tried to be god!" 

Now even the mist pulled back. "Quiet, Eight. That one is not to be mentioned." 

Misa's eyes narrowed. "I didn't like him too much either." She suddenly felt the attention of all fourteen beings. "Yes, I am the granddaughter of Rokubungi Gendo, and daughter of Soryu Asuka and Ikari Shinji. Now tell me where I am."

(AN: So, how long did it take you to figure out who all the people were? Or are you still wondering?)

"Damn you!" Takoru screamed into the darkness. "Let me go!" he pounded away at the controls, but the technicians still hadn't reattached the nerve connections. His Eva was getting eaten, but he couldn't even feel a dull ache. 

What was happening? How was Misato doing? Was Rei alright? If she died, Lilliko would be crushed, and he would never forgive himself. He would miss her too. 

Lilliko. How was she? She must be terrified, with her mother and best friend comatose, her brother and her boyfriend out getting smashed to bits…

If he died, she would probably kill herself. That was one of the things he loved about her. She was loyal to a fault. 

NO! She wouldn't kill herself. He needed to live, so that she would too.

Unit 20's eyes lit up.

He would live, and win, and he would destroy this abomination before it caused anyone any more pain. 

Hands forced Unit 01's jaws open.

He would annihilate Lillith and anyone else that got in the way of Lilliko's happiness.

A knee slammed into Unit 01's core, knocking it backwards.

"Sempai! Suzuhara has restored nerve connections, and his sync ratio is increasing at a dangerous rate!" 

Unit 20 smashed a fist into Unit 01's face, breaking bones and tearing through flesh with an armored fist. His other hand grabbed hold of Unit 01's arm and began to wrench it off, squeezing and twisting and pulling until it snapped off. 

"You're going to suffer for all the pain you've put us through!" he roared. "You will suffer for your deeds and die for your crimes!" He roared again and grabbed hold of Unit 01's core. Unit 01 screamed in agony as Takoru yanked out the core and crushed it. 

Unit 20's jaws descended upon Unit 01. "Cut connections, now!" Misato screamed. 

"It's no use! He's blocked us!"

"Takoru-chan!" Lilliko cried. 

Suddenly Unit 20 froze. Lilliko stared as the Eva sank to its knees and toppled over.

(AN: two confusing parts down, at least two more to go.)

"You betrayed me." Rei shivered again as the cold hatred of her other selves battered her. 

"You betrayed our purpose,"

"Betrayed the commander,"

"All for that boy."

"It wasn't just for him…" Rei protested.

"We had life for the sole purpose of bringing about Third Impact, and you failed." Rei shook her head as accusations rained down upon her. 

"You failed everyone."

"I did what was needed." She told her other selves.

"You were my tool." Rei recognized that voice instantly. Mother. "You were my instrument to bring about the salvation of my children. But you failed." 

"You failed." The other Rei echoed. "You failed." 

"I didn't fail." She told herself. "I did what I needed to. I did what was right."  

"You condemned my children to a world of eternal suffering and pain!" Lillith roared. "You sided with that spawn of Adam and the false Messiah, and destroyed all of the work we had achieved."

Images flooded her. Images of people in fear, in anger, hating and hurting and killing one another. Images of war, of poverty, of suffering and death. Images of Lilliko and Adamu, in pain, being mocked, beaten, hunted for what they were, dying sad and alone. Images of Kaoru abandoning her, of Shinji and the others shunning her. 

"This is what you have condemned my children to. Unless Adam is destroyed this is what the world will become."

Rei screamed.

(AN: No, I have no clue what's happening to Rei either.)

"You are in Adam's Heaven." Said the mist. 

Misa's eyes widened. "Another heaven? Adam's?"

"You are in Mother's domain." Said a set of floating eyes. "You are the first to join us in a while." 

"Adam's your mother…" Misa gasped. "You're the Angels!" 

"We have been called that, yes." She pulled away from the mist. "I believe that I was called Iruel." 

"Stay away!" Misa cried. "Stay back!" 

"Do not fear." Said a voice, a clearly human voice. Misa spun to face…a woman with red hair and a very familiar looking face. She was smiling at Misa's confusion. "You do not need to fear these people, granddaughter." 

"What?" Misa stared. The woman chuckled. She walked up to Misa and cupped her face in a gentle hand, looking into her eyes. 

"So, my daughter married Ikari-san's son. I had a feeling that fate would bring them together." She smiled. "You look so much like her, both of them, really. I can see both Ikari and my dear daughter in you." 

"You…you are…" Misa stuttered. Her mind was grinding to a halt, caught in a morass of confusion. How was Soryu Kyoko Zeppelin standing in front of her, in Adam's Heaven? 

"Dead?" Kyoko laughed, a silvery laugh that sounded so much like her mother's, but without the hard edge. Misa found it hard not to fling herself into the woman's arms. "I suppose I am. My soul was freed from Unit 02 when it was destroyed, and I ended up here, I guess, because Unit 02 was made from Adam." Kyoko placed a hand on Misa's core and nodded.

"That's Adam, sure enough. So, tell me, how did my daughter and that young man get together?" 

Adam smashed her fist into Lillith's temple, sending Lillith flying. Suddenly Lillith did something that no one expected. Completely breaking from Rei's fighting style she leapt upon Adam, knocking her to the ground. She placed on hand on Adam's neck and the other on the First Angel's core, planting both knees on Adam's legs to stop her from kicking. Then Lillith's fingers began to close. 

Misa suddenly doubled over in pain. Several Angels sprang forward in an attempt to help their mother, but Kyoko warned them back. Just then, Misa's AT field sprang up, forcing everyone back a pace. 

"Fifteen," Kyoko said, "Find out what's happening out there. And do not open her memories. I've barely forgiven you for my daughter." Fifteen, otherwise known as Arael, bowed its head and stared at Misa. Light flowed from Arael's eyes and engulfed Misa. 

The Angels all stiffened as they saw what was happening. "Thirteen…" a featureless humanoid made out of blood-veins strode forward and fell to its knees next to Misa. A bloody hand reached out and touched Misa's core.

Adam's eyes opened wide, and she grinned a feral, Asuka-esque grin. "Time to die, Lillith." She shoved her off and sprang to her feet. 

Misa looked up as the Angels pulled back. Kyoko knelt by her. "You have to go back." She told her granddaughter. "You need to stop Adam before she kills Lillith. The death of either of them in the forms they're in would destroy humanity."

Kyoko smiled. "Tell my daughter that I love her." 

"And tell Tabris that we miss him!" shouted one of the Angels. 

Adam picked up the Second Angel and twisted her arm, tearing it off. LCL sprayed out as Adam tore out Lillith's core. Lillith screamed, a scream echoed deep in NERV by the still unconscious Rei. 

"Help!" Rei screamed as the voices around her shrieked in agony, as her clones and former selves collapsed in pain. 

She screamed and shot to her feet, knocking Kaoru and Asuka back. She collapsed again, falling to her knees and clutching at her chest. "Help…"

Samantha fell to the ground in the exact same position, clutching at her chest and screaming. Dai-syo and Ariline collapsed as well, shrieking in agony. Unit 16's triumphant roar echoed for kilometers.

"Now go."

Everyone on the bridge stared as Misa suddenly awoke. "NO!" 

Adam froze and fell back under the weight of Lillith's body. The core dropped from her limp fingers into the sea of LCL where it knocked against Adamu's entry plug before sinking.

Adamu's eyes shot open as he felt the plug fling about in the LCL. The color of the liquid around him changed to blood red, and he choked on the new liquid. Then suddenly, it was gone, the LCL back to normal. 

Lillith's body dissolved overnight, as did Adam's, leaving only another huge puddle of liquid…and a dark entry plug labeled Unit 21. 

When the technicians opened the plug though, all they found was an empty plug-suit. 

AN: That was odd. 

Anyway, because I didn't feel like adding more to the pre-chapter rambling, here's my reply to the reviewer:

Alexei: Jeez, man! You review faster than I update! And as for the humor part, more to come as soon as I figure out what I'm doing. Or maybe I'll just stick in more humor anyway. And it's not random insanity. No, it's anything but random. The plot has been designed specifically to remove all vestiges of sense and stability that my mind has. Guess who spent three nights figuring out my weak points? 

And for all of you who are confused, congratulations. I know what's going on, and it hurts. 


	33. Questions, Answers, and Other Stuff

To all of you who understood the last chapter: WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?

Disclaimer: Eonnay Enesisgay Evangelionay elongsbay otay Ideakihay Annoay anday Ainaxgay. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 32: Questions, Answers, and Other Stuff

"I can understand him being so irritable, yes." Misato grinned, listening to her friend whine about Adamu's foul temper. "He was locked in that plug during the most important part of the fight." 

"That gives him no excuse to be so rude to his sister." Lilliko fumed. "To his _older_ sister, no less." She paced back and forth while Takoru and Misato watched from a short distance. 

""I'm always rude to you." they all spun in shock to see Adamu appear right in front of his sister. She slapped him. 

"That's beside the point. You were especially rude yesterday." She told him. "I'm not forgiving you for what you called me." 

Misato leaned over to Takoru. "What did he call her?" she asked softly.

"Screeching idiot." He whispered back. Misato blinked. She had thought it was something serious. "She's very sensitive about her voice. Screeching is very offensive to her." 

They settled back to watch as Lilliko shrieked, screamed, and shouted at her twin. Misato's ears began to hurt. "I almost wish I had stayed in heaven." 

Takoru turned to face her. "What?" 

"I said I almost wish that I'd stayed in Adam's heaven with the Angels and Grandmother." She pouted. "At least there I could talk to Grandmother and be at peace." Takoru peered at her, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing. "And Armisael seemed nice enough…though considering what she did to Rei-san…" she sat back against the tree. "I'm confused."

Takoru nodded, unsure of what to say. She smiled at him. "Maybe I was just hallucinating." 

"I don't care if you were upset, how do you think I feel? At least I have a better excuse than 'I was locked up for hours in a plug.' I was scared stiff in the bridge while you and Takoru-chan went out and fought, and mother inside screaming in pain, and me, not able to do anything!" 

Adamu just leveled a glare at his sister. "You were too afraid to fight Lillith simply because she looked like mother." 

"You didn't see what happened to mother every time someone hit Lillith! Mother felt her pain!" Lilliko shouted. "Maybe you are callous enough to let mother be hurt by your actions, but I'm not!" 

Misato stared at them. "Lilli-chan warned me that they would both be really sensitive around this time of year." Takoru told her. "I didn't listen. I thought that, well, I've survived her time of the month, surely I can handle this. I'm not so sure any more." 

"The Eleventh is dead." Samantha fell back onto the bed she shared with Ariline. "That leaves nine of us. I can barely feel the Thirteenth as it is." 

Dai-syo nodded. Their dwindling forces were starting to disturb him. Lillith claimed that Adam's power was very limited, but apparently NERV was on Adam's side.

He was really starting to hate NERV. NERV had been the one to kill off six of Lillith's Chosen, and unless they banded together, NERV would probably kill the rest. 

Samantha only had a sharp disdain for the organization. She had despised her parents as it was, so she didn't care when NERV killed them. 

Ariline had much stronger views on NERV. She would shiver with rage every time NERV was mentioned, but when questioned about her anger, she would only say, "Unit 16."

"Ariline won't help us." He murmured. "She's too attached to Unit 16." 

Samantha snarled at the girl's name. "She's nothing but a pest, with that sickly-sweet innocent façade and that little 'angel' body." 

"She's just trying to be nice." Dai-syo countered. "And she is innocent. She never heard Lillith's voice before yesterday." 

"You think she's pretty." Samantha said flatly. 

Dai-syo glared at her. Why did she hate the girl so much? They were both Americans, they should be able to get along. 

(AN: Yes, I know, he's clueless, please forgive his masculinity)

"So what if I do?"

Silence. 

"Oh, good. At least we're being honest now." Samantha rose to her feet. "Don't reply. I'm not listening." She walked out, calm on the surface, in turmoil on the inside. 

Dai-syo stared after her, completely confused. _Apparently, neither was I._

Adamu lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Something was different. His body…had changed, subtly. Perhaps the contact with Adam…No. There was something else inside him. Something oddly familiar. It felt like…

"Mother." He looked over to see Rei enter his room and sit down next to him. 

"How are you?" she asked. He smiled, slightly. 

"I'm still upset about the other day, but I'll get over it." He replied. "And how are you feeling? Father says you're still sensitive." Rei looked down at her hands. She was even paler than before. 

"My body is responding well, though I'm a bit weak and everything feels colder." She sighed, almost. "I feel like I've lost something." She told him. "Lillith was my mother, and I was with her again, and with my sisters. It did hurt, though. They all hate me." 

"You're different. That's why they hate you." He said softly. "That's why you survived." She smiled wanly.

"You sound so much like your father." She got up. "Get some rest. Your core pulse is weak and your brainwaves are erratic." 

(AN:?)

"The UN is demanding answers." Ritusko knocked open the door to Commander Katsuragi's office. "They want to know what all the explosions were."

"Tell them what we always tell them. End of the world, fate of humanity, apocalypse in shades and white gloves." Misato dismissed the matter with a wave of her beer can. "If we tell them what's really going on they'll pull our funding and send the SSDF to take us to the asylum." 

"I think that they're serious this time." Ritsuko warned her. "They say that they're sending over a representative." Another spy? Another Kaji, or another Kaoru? She didn't want to openly warn Misato to be careful, but something about this situation set off alarms in the doctor's subconscious.

Misato grinned. "How much you want to bet that the poor sot's plane gets blown up while crossing the ocean?" 

Ritsuko shot a disapproving glare at her co-commander. "Misato, this is not a time for jokes. You're forty-six now, try to act that way." 

Misato put her beer can down and smirked at her friend. "Ritsuko, you're talking to a woman who hasn't been fully sober in seventeen years. How can you expect me to act my age?" 

"Perhaps I should empty the beer drawer in that desk of yours." 

Misato suddenly snapped to attention. "Fine." She picked her beer can back up, almost cradling it. "So, what's the status of the Evas?"

"We've lost Unit 18 and Unit 01 and Unit 20 are complete wrecks." Ritsuko reported. "As usual." 

Misato shrugged, looking over the papers that Ritsuko had just handed her. "As usual. We're down to the usual two pilots. Let's just hope that we can refigure Unit 01 for Adamu." 

"That's doubtful." Ritsuko replied, sipping her coffee. "He must have been in contact with Adam, at least for a moment, before the plug was ejected. The tests so far say that he is uncontaminated, but given his heritage, I don't trust the data."

Misato smirked. "Even though it's Maya running the tests?" 

"Leave her out of this. It's the blood samples I'm not sure of, not her analysis. Remember what happened to Shinji."

Misato nodded solemnly. "Perhaps." She sat back in her chair and pulled out a beer. "So, are you free tomorrow? You know what's coming up soon." 

Ritsuko nodded. "I just hope that the Nagisas are ready. If not, they're going to be very, very vulnerable." 

AN: Um…what to say?

Oh, and Truhanku: I don't know about you, but in everything except for one fanfic, I forget what it's called, Lillith is always referred to as the Second Angel. I am assuming, possibly wrongly, that God created Man before Woman, because of reasons that I will never understand. I could be wrong, but then so would everything, except for one fanfic, and you. Who knows? I've been in your position before.

Oh, and, the next chapter will be a bit different from the others. I don't usually write that kind of thing, so it isn't as polished as I'd like. I have no idea what brought it on, but now it's necessary. 


	34. Yumana

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to other people.

Fourth Impact

Chapter 33: Yumana

Misato looked around. Adamu should have been here quite a while ago. She had left a message for him telling him to meet her, but apparently he had missed it. 

She got up and began to walk away when her phone rang. She picked up. "Hello?"

"Moshi moshi." Said Lilliko. "Sorry, but this isn't a good day for Adamu to see you." 

"Why is that? Did something happen?" Asked Misato. 

"It's a special day for our family. He can see you tomorrow, but not today." 

"Why—" Lilliko hung up. Misato stared at her phone for a while, then ran off toward the Nagisa's house. 

She arrived to see Adamu sitting on the roof outside his window, a guitar in his lap, looking like he was about to burst into tears. As she stood staring, notes drifted down, a complex weave that she recognized as one of the hardest pieces to play on a guitar. Why was he sitting on the roof, looking so sad, and playing that piece? 

She climbed up to him and sat down beside him. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice her. 

"What's wrong?" she asked him. He glanced over at her, tears in his eyes. 

"I don't want to talk." He said gruffly, still playing. "I'm fine." 

Her eyes narrowed. "That's not true." She glared at him. "I want to know what's wrong, Adamu. I only want to help you."

"Why do you care?" he suddenly flared. She fell back at his outburst. 

"I'm your girlfriend." She reminded him. He scoffed, choking a bit.

"Don't tell me that you take that so seriously." He said harshly, not once pausing in his playing. Harsh not from anger, she could tell, but from sadness.

"Well, even so, I care about you, Adamu." She told him, trying to sound as gentle as she could. "I'm your friend at least. I'm not going to leave until you tell me what is wrong." 

"I don't want to talk." He said, his voice choked with grief. 

Her resolve hardened. He was hurting himself, and without reason. No matter if he told her or not, his pain was still very real, and perhaps reducible. "You don't need to talk." She grabbed his head and forced him to look into her eyes. He gasped as their eyes locked, his playing faltering, then stopping. She had that effect on everyone, but only she knew why. 

A spark seemed to pass between them. Then Adamu froze completely as she opened his mind and dove in. 

Images, sounds, feelings that she couldn't place. She wandered the chaos that was Adamu's thoughts until she came across an image so enshrouded in grief that she couldn't ignore it. 

She found an image of a baby girl with bright red eyes and a few locks of silvery-blue hair. The baby squirmed, giggling in a pair of juvenile arms. Feelings of warmth, joy surrounded the image.

The image suddenly changed to one of the same baby, a few months older. The baby was twisting and crying in pain. The feeling of warmth was quickly replaced by fear and grief and pain.

Misato pushed a bit further until she found herself staring at a name.

YUMANA 

Adamu fell back as Misato let go of him. He was openly crying now, his head in his hands and the guitar forgotten. Misato pulled him into her arms and let him weep into her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Adamu. I didn't know." 

"I would have had to tell someone eventually." He replied. "Just…thank you for caring." 

"Any time." She told him. "I know I shouldn't have dug into you like that…I of all people should know better…"

"No, it's a good thing." He said softly. "I was blocking the memories of all the good times I had with her. I could only remember her death." 

"What happened? I mean, why did that happen?" she asked, not quite expecting an answer. 

"Yuma-chan…" Adamu sighed. He pulled out of her embrace and sat back against the side of the house, picking up his guitar and starting to play again. 

"Yumana-chan…taken from Humanis, the Eighteenth Angel. She was supposed to be a merging of my father and mother, a perfect melding except for gender." He smiled. "She was so beautiful, so pure…"

Adamu picked up his baby sister and placed her in his lap. She giggled and tugged at his shirt, nuzzling it. Her eyes lit up as the radio began to play that song that she loved so much.

Adamu smiled and watched as Yumana let herself be lulled to sleep by the flowing guitar. He silently vowed to someday learn how to play that just for her. 

Lilliko sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder and shifting Yumana into her own lap. No words were exchanged as the twins watched their sister drift off to sleep, an innocent smile on her small face. 

"…but her destiny said otherwise." He sighed, the tears returning. "There's a reason that Lilli-chan and I are such perfect replicas of our parents, with no mixing. We found that out the hard way…"

"Yuma-chan!" Adamu knelt by his wailing sister and stared as she began to glow. Lilliko appeared beside him and tried to pick her up, but she was kicked aside. Rei and Kaoru knelt by the other side of the cradle, watching in fear and dismay.

The stench of death filled the room. Adamu and Lilliko fell back as Yumana's glowing body began to bleed all over, red blood mixed with orange and black. The stench got stronger, as did the glow. 

Suddenly, the cradle was empty. Rei collapsed into Kaoru's arms, unable to hold back her tears. Lilliko curled into herself, also crying. But Adamu merely stared at the drops of blood that had once been his sister. 

"…The parts of her that were from Adam and the parts that were from Lillith destroyed each other. Her AT field dissolved, killing her." He began to weep again. "Lilli-chan and I were lucky. We were uneven enough that one side took total dominance over the other. But Yuma-chan was too finely balanced. There was no dominant side, so eight years ago today, after only ten months of life, she died."

He wiped away the last few tears. "Go inside. It's getting dark. I want to be alone for a while." She climbed into Adamu's room. She found Lilliko sitting in Takoru's lap in the lounge, weeping softly. She looked up to see Misato. 

"Misa-chan…" 

"I'm sorry." Misato said quietly, sitting down. "Now I understand a lot more." 

Lilliko pulled away from Takoru slightly. "I take it that you just talked to Adamu-chan." Misato nodded sadly. "He was hit worse than the rest of us. He really loved Yuma-chan." She smiled wanly. "He used to be like Takoru-chan here." Her boyfriend blinked. "He used to be such a carefree little boy. But Yuma-chan's death changed that. He ran away for a day, and when he returned he was changed.

"He was cold and insensitive, so that no one would get close enough to hurt him again. I'm really surprised that he even told you what happened." Misato looked away, suddenly feeling very guilty. She didn't say how she found out. "That's the same reason I get so upset at the thought of being alone." Lilliko admitted. 

"I just have this fear of everyone leaving me…That's why I'm so glad that I found Takoru-chan." Takoru pulled her deeper into his arms. "Mother and father recovered, mostly, but Adamu and I were just too young, I guess."

Misato nodded, looking up as Adamu came in still holding his guitar. She guided him over to the couch opposite Takoru and Lilliko and sat him down. She placed his guitar in his lap and placed her head on his shoulder. 

He looked over at her, startled. "Just play." She told him. "Yumana-chan would have wanted you to be happy, so let your tears out now and be happy tomorrow. Just play."

He nodded and began to play, tears silently falling. After a few moments, Lilliko began to sing, her voice weaving with that of the guitar, just as they had planned eight years before.

…But even if life is cruel to us

You don't have to hurt yourself

To make it easier for me.

I understand what you are going through,

And I love you just the same…

As the song wound down, Adamu noticed that Misato had fallen asleep against his shoulder. Lilliko and Takoru bid him goodnight, going up to the room they shared. He sat beside Misato, wondering if he should wake her or not. She looked so peaceful and content sleeping, though. Perhaps…no. Maybe some other day he would tell her. Not today. 

He placed his guitar on the floor and carried her up to his room. A moment of indecision, followed by a long minute and a half of thought, led him to place her on his bed. He grabbed a spare mattress from the closet and settled down, taking off his shirt and watching her out of the corner of his eye. He fell asleep gazing at her smile, so like that of a girl whom he'd loved…

For all of you who lost someone. 


	35. Esserach

Well, the previous chapter certainly was a first for me. I've written plenty of sad, angsty stuff, but never anything so bittersweet. Or at least, I think it was bittersweet. 

Anyway, to make up for the mood of the previous chapter, this chapter's going to be a bit of fun. 

Disclaimer: When I say so, I want you to close your eyes and imagine a big legal document with the word Disclaimer at the top. The document will be a detailed outlining of all the parts of this story that I do and do not own, with reasons, excuses, and citations. It will give such a complete and in depth description of the legal situation that I will not have to write another disclaimer for the next several chapters. 

Now close your eyes…your eyes aren't closed…I said CLOSE YOU EYES! Good.

Fourth Impact

Chapter 34: Esserach

Misato woke up, feeling groggy but strangely content. She looked around. Everything was still pitch-black. She blinked. She was still wearing her clothes. Not good. She stripped down to her underwear, tossing her clothes over the side of the bed. She reached out, feeling around until she found a shirt on the side of the bed. Slipping it on she fell back against the pillow, quickly asleep.

A while later Adamu woke and got up. He stumbled downstairs and got a drink of water, then stumbled back to his room. Still half-asleep, his semi-conscious mind directed him to his bed, onto which he settled, not noticing the other presence. 

(AN: this won't end well. Ah, the joy of habits.)

Misato returned to consciousness to find herself snuggled into a pair of familiar arms. Her legs were intertwined with someone else's, and that same someone was nuzzling her hair. She opened her eyes to stare into Adamu's bare chest. 

"PERVERT!" Adamu suddenly felt himself get knocked from his bed and slapped several times. "Why the hell am I in your room? And why am I wearing your shirt?"

He blinked. She was wearing his shirt…and not much else. She glared at him. 

"I can't believe that you tried to take advantage of me like this." She fumed. "I'm not even really your girlfriend!" 

"Misa-chan, what if—" She slapped him.

"Don't call me that! I don't care about the stupid façade anymore." She grabbed her clothes and stormed out of the room toward the bathroom. 

She left the bathroom fully dressed just as Lilliko stuck her head out of her own room. "Morning, Misa-chan. Have a nice night with your boyfriend?"

Misato shot her a glare. "He's not my boyfriend, and never was. We were just faking it to make you two upset." Lilliko's eyes widened. 

Misato stormed down the stairs, greeted Rei and Kaoru, and stomped out the door. She made her way back to her house. Her parents met her at the door.

"So, did you have a nice night?" asked her mother knowingly. 

"The stupid pervert tried to take advantage of me." she told them, going up to her room and locking the door. 

Adamu looked up as his sister stepped into his room. "Well, brother, I hope that you're happy with what you wrought. I can't believe that you would be so underhanded in tricking me and Takoru-chan." 

"It was her idea." He said flatly. 

"That is no excuse. You tried to take advantage of her, and look where that got you." She was now standing over his still prone form, hands on her hips, looking down at him with contempt. It was a familiar scene.

"I don't know what happened last night. I wasn't exactly wide awake."

"I hope you are now." She smirked. "In the meantime, she hates you." 

Adamu closed his eyes. Suddenly he shot to his feet so fast that his sister was knocked off balance. She fell with a shriek, landing on the futon and cursing him. 

Takoru stood at the door, looking in. He grinned as his girlfriend fell. She glared at him. "Why are you just standing there? He tricked us!" 

Takoru only smiled at her. "And I congratulate him for the job. I was truly upset at the thought of you two hiding something that big from us. Not that I don't appreciate the irony of her leaving you, but I still must congratulate you on a job very well done."

Adamu gave him a curt nod and pushed them both out of his room so he could get dressed. He went down to the table to see his father cleaning up. "So, was it really just a ruse?" he asked his son. Adamu nodded. "And you looked so good together too." He shook his head. "Well, it looks like you've learned the lesson it took me so long to learn." 

"And that would be?" asked Adamu, flatly. His father merely grinned. 

"I can't tell you now. Not in front of your mother." He replied. Adamu turned to see Rei smiling at him. 

"Good morning mother." He said flatly. She simply gave him a knowing smile and left. 

Even after fifteen years his mother still scared him. 

(AN: Good boy.)

"Welcome." He looked around at the GeoFront with wide eyes. "I take it that you are the representative's ward?" 

He turned to look at the Commander. "Yes. My name is Esserach Talkenoh. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." He smiled, a warm, gentle smile. 

His guardian Tolben Deransh was less than warm. He only gave her a stiff glare of disapproval. He wasn't the only one who could smell the alcohol beneath the woman's perfume. "Commander Katsuragi, if you would introduce us to your subordinates," 

Misato grinned at him. "I haven't heard them called that since Third Impact." She turned and led them inside. 

They met Ritsuko first, the scientist poring over some sample of something. She greeted them both briefly before resuming her work. Misato gave the representative a smirk.

"She's a workaholic. Don't mind her." 

They met Maya soon after, when the lieutenant came to deliver a report to Ritsuko. She smiled at Tolben and Esserach, a smile that only Esserach returned. 

"Thirty-nine, and still so innocent." Misato mused. Then they met the Children.

Asuka peered skeptically at the representative, who peered skeptically back at her. "How much does he know?" she asked. 

"I know enough to see that you aren't telling us everything, Ms. Soryu." Tolben replied coldly. She smirked. 

"I've dealt with Rokubungi Gendo, former Commander of NERV. Don't think to scare me with that attitude."

Esserach stepped forward. "Please forgive my guardian, Lady Soryu." He said in smooth German. "He usually deals with soldiers, and is unused to finer speech."  

Asuka's eyes lit up at the sound of her native tongue, but she said nothing. 

Rei only stared blankly at them, as she was wont to do. Shinji nervously greeted the two, shifting from foot to foot. Kaoru started chatting amiably with Esserach, drawing him aside and telling Misato to continue introducing Tolben to the staff. 

He led the boy out to the center of the GeoFront, where his son, daughter, and Takoru were lounging. Or at least, Lilliko and Adamu were lounging. Takoru was searching through Kaji's melon patch. Suddenly one of the melons exploded, showering him with juice and seeds. He stood, blinking in shock as his girlfriend burst into silvery laughter. He wiped off what he could and went back to searching. 

"Well, well, well." Lilliko said when she spotted Esserach. She lazily rose to her feet, sauntering over to him. "What do we have here?" She leaned forward, hands on her hips, looking him up and down.

"Only your humble servant Talkenoh Esserach, fair lady." He bowed low. She smirked evilly. 

"My, aren't you courteous." She said with a wicked smile. "So polished, so finely mannered." She grinned, baring her fangs. She placed a finger beneath his chin and made him look into her eyes. "You know what we do to humans like you?" 

He smiled innocently. "Pray tell, fair one." He said gallantly. 

"We eat them."  She said sharply, swiping her finger across his throat. She ran her tongue over her lips. "And you look absolutely delicious." 

"Thank you, my lady. Shall I be boiled? Or roasted? Or do you Angels eat your humans raw?" 

"Raw, of course." She backed away, examining him as a cat examines a cornered mouse.

"Well, then, shall I see you at dinner?" he asked with an impudent smile. 

She laughed. "Sorry, but I'm taken for tonight. My Takoru-chan would never let me be seen eating with another man."

Esserach turned to face Takoru, who was red and confused. "Ah, my apologies, sir. I never meant to be so forward. Your lady is a beautiful one, and I fear I may have lost my sense of place." He turned back to Lilliko. "Yet, you have not eaten this one. Why, pray tell?"

Lilliko burst out into helpless laughter. "Two reasons. One, he holds the Loginus Sword, both of them, and two, he tastes awful uncooked!" She suddenly smirked again, and leaned close to Esserach. "That, and he's good in bed." Takoru turned bright red while Adamu spun to glare daggers at him.

Esserach grinned. "Noble reasons, all.  Say, where is the fourth of your group?"

Lilliko stopped laughing to glare at her brother. "She went home because my brother tried something stupid." Adamu rolled his eyes. "She is single, currently."

Esserach nodded, grateful. "Thank you, my lady. I shall have to pay a call to the aggrieved maiden." He smirked. "After all, I shall need someone to guide me about the city, and someone to inflict my chivalry on." Lilliko only nodded, while Adamu turned away sharply.

As Esserach was guided away by his guardian, Ritsuko shook her head. "He reminds me too much of Kaji and Kaoru." She told Misato.

She raised an eyebrow. "Deransh?" Ritsuko shot her an exasperated glare.

"No, the boy." Misato shrugged.

"I don't know, I like him well enough. And so he's a flirt, what of it?" she asked. "I've gotten over Kaji." 

"That's not what I'm talking about. He's too smooth, too polished. My experience tells me not to trust him."

Misato peered at her co-commander. "If he really was up to something, don't you think Kaoru-san would have noticed? He was the original smooth talker, you know."

Ritsuko shook her head again. "I don't even try to understand Kaoru-san. I swear, he keeps secrets simply so that he can wear that blasted smile all the time." 

AN: Esserach Talkenoh…Don't know where the name comes from, don't know where the boy comes from. Brain hurts.


	36. Yet More Lies

For those of you who are wondering, yes the transition between the moods of chapters 33 and 34 is non-existent, but that's because certain people decided that the story would stop being confusing and start being depressing instead. Oh well. Thanks xlax.

Anyways, Drey-chan is out banging his head on the wall in furst…frustras…you know the word, because of writer's block. I bought him a salve for it, but it doesn't appear to be working. Maybe you need prescription drugs for this kind of thing, I don't know. 

Disclaimer: Property is theft. But I don't own anything, so I'm innocent. You can't sue! 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 35: Yet More Lies

(AN: Gee, I wonder what this chapter's going to be about?)

Esserach looked up at the window he was sure was hers. Then he rang the doorbell. "If that's you, Adamu, go away."

"I would go, but I am not Adamu." The door opened to reveal Misato, glaring at him out of half-lidded eyes. Her eyes slowly widened as she took in the sight of him. He smiled. 

"The reports do you no justice." He said smoothly. "Though words would be inadequate in any case." She blushed. "May I come in? It is dreadfully cold out here." She nodded and they stepped inside.

He closed his eyes for a moment. Searai was almost in place. He opened them as Misato came back with tea. 

"Why did you come here?" asked Misato. "I would have thought that the UN would have only sent the representative." He nodded.

"They would have, but for my father. I must admit, he sent me here because he wants me out of the way." He sipped at his tea, never taking his eyes off her. "I was never any good at politics." He sat back against the couch, watching her over the rim of his cup. "So here I am, enjoying your company instead of lying to the great ones." 

Searai watched from her perch in an Eva catapult. She smiled. If NERV hadn't been so badly damaged from the previous fights, they might have seen her. Or not, the plane was rather large, and the crew as well. 

She dropped a meter down to watch three of the Children wander the Geofront. She sighed as Adamu passed beneath her. He was cute, she decided, and callous enough that perhaps she could win him over. More importantly, he was the son of one of Lillith's incarnations. Through him would come much power. 

Her grip loosened suddenly and she plunged into the darkness. She barely caught herself on something, hoisting herself back up and grinning stupidly. She didn't dare turn on a light, but whatever she was holding onto was cold, and wet, and squishy…

When liquid began to run down her arm, though, she could take it no longer. She turned on her AT field for a moment, and gulped, letting go and dropping. She didn't care. She could do without touching Zeruel's long dead flesh.

She caught hold of a vent and looked down to make sure that no one had seen her. Exhaling and wiping beads of sweat from her brow, she resumed her lookout, waiting for Esserach's signal.

"…but they didn't listen to me." he said, pausing. She smiled in rueful glee. 

"Go on, tell me!" she urged. He turned to face her, and their eyes met for a split second, too quick for her to get a hold on him, but long enough for her to get lost in the depths of his deep golden eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, and a blush forced its was onto her face.

She blinked, inwardly cursing herself. _Get a hold of yourself, Misato! You're not a boy, your brain is in your head, not between your legs!_

"Well, to put it simply, boom." He finished, not bothering to hide the satisfaction of being right. "No one was hurt, fortunately, but all that money, wasted." He made a dramatic sigh. "And that's why they cut our funding." 

She shook her head to clear the blush. "Well, I guess I should start heeding your advice." She said. He stood up slowly, holding out his hand.

"Then I shall advise a stroll, if milady would be so kind." She giggled.

"I told you to stop calling me that." She said, taking his hand and getting up. 

"Since I will never be able to achieve the high standards of Eastern courtesy," he replied, "I might as well try for Western instead." 

"One of the first rules of courtesy is doing as the lady asks." She countered. 

"One of the first rule of being male is to be totally oblivious as to what the lady wishes." He led her out the door and into the sunlight. "So, where shall we go?"

She looked around. The city was still in ruins, but the park was intact. "This way, _milord_." He looked stricken, then calmed.

"I guess I deserved that." He said with a smile. They reached the park, chatting about their interests, their childhoods, what they liked. By the time they passed her favorite tree, she felt as if she had known him forever. 

Suddenly his watch beeped. He sighed, letting go of her hand. "I'm afraid that I must leave you now, milady. My guardian summons me." she smiled.

"Shall I see you tomorrow?" He nodded, and blew her a kiss before running off. 

She smirked. _Flirt._

"I hate that jerk." Misato told her friend as Tolben left. "He judges me by the alcohol in my desk, not the papers on it."

"Perhaps he is wiser to do so." Ritsuko said with a smirk. "I hate him too, but he does know what he's doing." 

Misato frowned. "Yes, threatening us. The UN didn't like the resurrection of NERV any more than we did, and he's making sure that we know it. If only he knew what was really going on."

"Well, it's a good thing he's not in Kaji-kun's class. Then we'd be doomed." Ritsuko grabbed her cup of coffee. "It's the boy that worries me."

"The boy." Misato shrugged. "I really don't understand why you're so worried. He seems innocent."

"Misato-kun, Kaoru-san seemed innocent until he took over Unit 02." Ritsuko reminded her. "Kaoru-san isn't saying anything, but I still don't trust the boy."

"You're just being paranoid. The boy is fine." Misato waved off Ritsuko's protests. "Besides, even if the boy turns out to be something, we have five, maybe six Angels with us, and the Splinters of Loginus. We don't need to be worried about him."

"Hey, Takoru-chan! Catch!" Takoru spun just in time to see the melon hurtling towards him. He jumped back with a yelp and the melon exploded on the ground in front of him. Melon guts splattered all over his pants and onto his shirt. 

"What was that for?" he demanded. Lilliko giggled. 

"I thought you would catch it." She replied. "Don't worry, it's only a melon." She strode over to him, another melon tucked under her arm. "Go get a melon. The Ikaris are coming over tonight and Shinji-san promised to teach me how to make pie."

His eyes lit up at the word pie, and he rushed over to get another melon.

"Hey, Lilli-kun!" Lilliko turned to see Misato and Esserach striding toward them. "What are you doing, desecrating Kaji-san's melon patch?" 

"I'll be making pie." She answered. "And besides, Kaji-san surely didn't make this patch simply to watch it take over the Geofront. These are good melons here."

"And that one?" she pointed to the melon guts still splattered all over Takoru's clothing. Lilliko grinned.

"We were playing." She said innocently. "It's not my fault that Takoru can't catch."

"I don't know, it seems like the thrower is at fault here. I've known Takoru for years, and he's managed to catch everything, from baseballs to hubcaps to the flu."

"Please," Esserach cut in, "don't you think that it is too early in the morning for you fair maidens to be bickering?"

Misato made a most un-lady-like snort. "Maiden, Lilli-kun. Right." 

Lilliko drew back with an indignant pout. "What? Me?"

Misato nodded. "Please, Lilli-kun, don't be coy. Takoru sleeps in your room every night, and the way you act…" 

Lilliko humph'd. "I just talk that way to make my brother upset. I'm still pure." 

"Say that again tonight, when Takoru'll be playing with your melons and eating your pie, eh?"

(AN: 

Drey-chan: Layra-chan! Really, get your head out of the gutter.

Layra: But Drey-chan, you know how much I enjoy making suggestive comments. Without them, talking to me wouldn't be any fun.

Drey-chan: I rated this story PG-13 for a reason.

Layra: We all know what 13-year olds enjoy most, don't we? …)

Takoru turned bright red and hastily put down the melon he was holding. Misato burst out laughing, and suddenly Lilliko leapt at her, knocking her down.

"Girls!" Esserach exclaimed. "Watch out for the melons!" Smash! He sweatdropped and started turning a bit red himself as the girls clawed and punched at each other, rolling back and forth through the crushed melons.

"So, they packed me into the plane and shipped me off without a word." Esserach said, finishing off his pie. "The funny thing is, I ended up in France anyway, because they'd thought I was Jeremy all along."

The adults laughed, and Esserach smiled. He had them, all but Adamu and Ritsuko. Ritsuko was no matter, she was only a simple human. And Adamu…Searai said to leave him alone.

"Takoru-kun," Misato said suddenly, "you've barely touched Lilli-kun's pie." Takoru was nervously poking at his pie, trying to force down a blush. "Don't you want your girlfriend to know how delicious it is?"

Lilliko glared at her, then smirked, sliding over and plopping herself onto Takoru's lap. She stifled a yelp by shoving a large portion of pie into his mouth. "He just wanted me to feed it to him." 

Esserach stood up slowly. "Thank you for the wonderful meal." He said, bowing. "And the most enjoyable conversation. I must be going now." 

"Let me walk you back to NERV." Misato said, standing up. He nodded and deposited their dishes in the sink. They walked out with a final goodbye to everyone.

No one failed to notice that their hands were linked. 

Searai felt Esserach's signal and dropped from the Eva catapult, falling through the broken shaft and into the Geofront.

AN: …Look, Drey-chan, so my mind is dirty. Is that such a crime? Are only boys allowed to be perverts? Really, you're such a sexist. Girls can also be stupid, bloodthirsty, perverted pyromaniacs who only think with the thing between their legs, not just boys. Take me, for example…


	37. Betrayal

…Layra-chan: Okay, the remark about the shotgun was uncalled for, I'll grant you that. But I am still a pervert. 

DreyonLegacy: I'm not arguing with you on that, I'm talking about the content of the last chapter. Yes, Evangelion was full of innuendo and adolescence, but that was Evangelion, a most definitely R-rated series. This is PG-13. 

Layra-chan: Then perhaps you should change the rating. The only way you can stop me from making dirty comments is to tie me up and gag me again. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Me, all trussed up and helpless…

DreyonLegacy: Layra-chan! Please, just for one moment, stop with the lewd comments. I'm trying to write a story here… 

disclaiMer: neon genesIs evaNgelion bE!ongs to hideaki anno and gainax. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 36: Betrayal

Misato smiled faintly as they strode toward the Geofront hand in hand. Everything felt so perfect…

Suddenly something exploded in the distance. They spun to see another orange explosion near the Nagisas' house. 

"That was—" she started to turn but Esserach grabbed her and forced her to face him. 

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you go." She gasped and pulled away from him. He shook his head, and extended a hand toward her. "I really liked you too. Perhaps we'll meet again when the dust settles." A bright orange staff shimmered into existence in his outstretched hand, his fingers clenching around it. An identically colored armband appeared, right beneath his shoulder. He swung. 

Misato screamed as the staff smashed into her chest, sending her flying back. 

Lilliko stared at the girl in front of her. Searai stuck her tongue out and another bubble appeared in front of Lilliko, exploding outward. Lilliko flung her AT field up, but she was still knocked backwards. 

Then she heard the scream. Immediately Adamu was off, running toward Misato's location, but a bubble manifested right in front of him and exploded. Searai grinned.

"Sorry, but I can't let you get past me. Esserach would be upset if I did." She absently flung her hand out and another bubble knocked Rei and Asuka back onto the lawn. "You're really cute, you know that? All determined and resolute, off to save the girl. And those looks…" she giggled, forcing Kaoru into a tree. "What say you give up your heritage and come with me, help us kill Adam?"

"If you kill Adam, then I will be killed as well. It's in my genes." He responded, trying to hit her with his own AT field. 

"Oh please. Come to America with me. There, nobody cares who your parents were, or where your family came from."

She spun around to smash Lilliko into a wall. The blue-haired girl flung up her AT field right before colliding with the wall, which collapsed behind her. 

"Deransh-san!" Misato stormed up to him. "You are under arrest." The representative was immediately surrounded by Section 2 agents. 

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. "You have no right to arrest me." 

Misato gave him a joyless smile. "You forget, this is NERV. Within the Geofront we have absolute authority." 

She spun as Deransh was led away and strode to the bridge. "Status."

"The girl is somehow holding them all back. There is no sign of Misa-chan." 

"Where's Takoru-chan? He should be able to go through anything." 

"Unconscious. He was the first one attacked. The Sword is behind the girl." 

"A second Black Pattern! Right above us." Makoto exclaimed. 

"Get a visual." Misato commanded. "Is Misa-chan there?"

A picture appeared of Misa, who was trying to hold up against a flurry of blows by the staff. Esserach looked grim, almost regretful as he smashed away at her defenses. 

Lilliko popped open her phone and snarled. "This is not a good time, Commander." 

"Go around her." Misato ordered. "You and your brother go around her and get to Misa-chan. She is your first priority!"

Lilliko glanced across the battlefield to her brother. Miming the plan to him, she got up and into position. As soon as another bubble exploded into the adults they bolted, going around either side of Searai in hopes that she would get distracted by one of them.

Searai spun and a bubble burst forth into Lilliko, who flew back with a curse. Searai then turned her attention to Adamu, but Rei and Kaoru flung their AT fields at her, and she was forced to deal with them instead. 

Adamu reached down and picked up to Sword, flinging it to his sister. She deftly caught it, quickly finding the balance. A smirk burned its way onto her face, and she charged. 

Searai shrieked as Lilliko came at her, the Sword at ready. A bubble exploded in front of her, but Lilliko just chopped it in half and the pieces flew out sideways, leaving Lilliko untouched. 

Misa screamed again as she was forced back, falling to the ground. Esserach swung, deathly determination written on his face. "You shouldn't have taken Adam into yourself." He said. "You're only making it harder on yourself."

"Leave her alone!" Esserach barely managed to get his AT field up in time as Adamu came at him armed with a long metal pole. There was an ear-splitting screech as the cold metal met the boy's AT field. 

"Damn you…" Esserach swung his staff at Adamu, but Adamu blocked it with his own. The two soon forgot about Misa altogether as they fought back and forth, their staffs flicking about in the darkness.

(AI [Author's Interruption]: Don't say it, Layra-chan…

Layra-chan: Say what?

DreyonLegacy: You know, the comment you always make whenever swords or guns or staffs or anything like those are mentioned.

Layra-chan: Oh, you mean how I always say—

DreyonLegacy: Don't say it!)

A shriek rang out whenever the two weapons touched, but neither boy seemed affected. A chunk of Adamu's pole exploded as the AT staff passed through it, but he only shifted his grip and continued fighting. 

"Not bad," Esserach smirked. "Who taught you?" 

"No one." Adamu replied. "Learned by myself, alongside my sister." The poles met again with a hearty screech and an equally loud hiss. 

"I learned from a private weapons instructor." Esserach suddenly spun the pole around in his hands, flipping it around so that the far end shot over his head and caught Adamu off guard. Adamu blocked with his own AT field, but the force pushed him back. 

Lilliko swung the sword again, slicing the bubble in half just as it appeared. She grinned. Searai was good, skilled and powerful. But she was predictable. Lilliko couldn't blame her, she appeared no more than twelve, so she couldn't have had all that much time to learn the tricks.

She chopped a bubble in half, painfully ignoring any attacks that weren't aimed at her. Searai stared in fear at her, holding up her hands as if to defend herself with them. Her AT field shimmered as she stopped attacking. 

Lilliko took a moment to study the girl, looking for the LCL colored object that was the key to her powers. She spotted it, a bracelet. She smirked and charged forward, bringing the sword up.

Searai pushed all her power into the field, but Lilliko slashed right through it, chopping off the girl's hand in the process. Searai screamed in pain but the AT barrier remained. 

Lilliko blinked in disbelief. The bracelet was still on her wrist. Then she remembered what Takoru had told her. She had to destroy the bracelet altogether. 

She slashed again, and this time the bracelet shattered, and Searai screamed again, the AT field blinking out of existence. 

Searai fell to her knees, gripping her wrist. Everyone stared at the bloodless wound. Then Searai got to her feet, absolute hatred flaring in her black eyes. 

Placing her remaining hand on her chest, she shrieked and exploded. 

Adamu glanced over as the explosion rocked the city, but Esserach took advantage of the distraction to attack. He knocked Adamu back and spun to face Misa. She cowered back as he raised the staff, holding like a javelin. 

"Time to die, Adam!"

Blam! He suddenly fell, dropping his staff as the metal beam caught him on the armband. The staff disappeared right before the cloth shredded. 

"Damn!" he fell to his knees, clutching his ruined arm. He glared at Adamu. "You filthy Angel. You've ruined everything."

He turned to face Misato again. "No matter. I shall get you anyway." He stretched his hand toward her. "Goodbye."

Lilliko got up to see a small puddle in the midst of the rubble. The adults were helping each other to their feet. Takoru was just waking. She walked over to him and handed him his Sword. 

"Thank—" she was cut off.

Esserach's body dissolved as his AT formed itself into another staff flying straight at Misa. It pierced through her chest and flickered out of existence as it reached her back. She fell.

"No!"

AN: 

…DreyonLegacy: Look, Layra-chan, let's compromise. You can put in your filthy, dirty, mind-in-the-gutter, one-track-mind ideas, but I get to censor them, alright?

Layra-chan: You're too harsh with your censoring. Because of you, I don't get to say CENSORED or CENSORED or even C3NZ0R3D. 

DreyonLegacy: You do know why I don't like you saying those, right?

Layra-chan: Yes. You don't like the fact that I can out-cuss you.

DreyonLegacy: I don't like you saying them because this is a PG-13 fic! There are people reading this who might get offended!

Layra-chan: Since when has that bothered you?

DreyonLEgacy: Since I started publishing. This is America, Layra-chan. You can kill all you want, but certain things cannot be said.

Layra-chan: Fine, fine, if you're going to be such a CENSORED about it. I don't see what the big CENSORED deal about it is, anyway…


	38. Reflection?

Prepare for one of the most messed up chapters in the fic. And if anyone says that it's a blooper scene from Evangelion, I'll send Layra-chan over to talk at you for an hour. 

Disclaimer: Hideaki Anno and Gainax are owned by Neon Genesis Evangelion. Wait a minute—

Fourth Impact

Chapter 37: Reflection?

"Where am I?" Misato asked, looking around at the void surrounding her. "Am I in another heaven?"

Suddenly a little girl with red hair appeared. "Who are you?" Misato asked. 

"I am you." the little girl replied. 

"What?" Misato's eyes widened. "How could you be me?"

"I am the Misato that exists in your mind."

Misato blinked. "Suppose I accept that. Now what?" 

The little girl stepped closer, and Misato could see that yes, it was her, age 6. 

"You are worthless! I hate you!" Misato blinked at her younger self's sudden outburst. 

"Excuse me?" The little girl stared at her, then frowned. 

"Hey, no fair!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Where are all the bad memories?"

"What do you mean, 'bad memories?' Am I supposed to have them?"

Chibi-Misa nodded vigorously. "Yes! You're supposed to have horrible, traumatic memories locked away somewhere, and I'm supposed to make you relive them." She explained, still frowning. She sat down, tears in her eyes. "I really do hate you now." 

Misato walked over and sat down next to her younger self, shifting the girl into her lap. "I'm sorry." She was very confused, to say the least, but the girl was upset, and in some obscure way it was her fault. 

Chibi-Misa began to cry in earnest, and Misato was forced to try and sooth her. "It's all right. Please, you did the best you could. It's not your fault."

"It's not easy being a conscience." Chibi-Misa told her. "I always have to do the right thing, the good things." She curled up as Misato wrapped her arms about her. "I wanna do the wrong thing for once. I want to be a bad girl, and get in trouble. I don't wanna be a good girl anymore." Misato stopped her from sticking her thumb in her mouth, so Chibi-Misa just rubbed at her eyes and cried. "But no. I get stuck here, with no idea of how I got here and where I was before this, or what I am or anything, and I'm told to make you miserable. I don't get any say in anything, because I'm only six years old!"

Misato wiped some tears away from the little girl's eyes and hugged her. "Tell you what. Let's pretend I'm feeling miserable. Is there something that's supposed to happen next?" 

Chibi-Misa nodded. "Now you either fight your way back to redemption, or you convince yourself that you're worthless, go into a depression, and then into a coma." 

Misato blinked. However appetizing the second choice seemed… "I think I'll go with the first option. What would your role be?"

"Now I'm supposed to show you your friends and family, and…" the little girl's face lit up, the tears disappearing. "I can do that! I can!" she hopped out of Misato's arms and spun to face her. 

Suddenly her parents appeared. "These are the Father and Mother that exist in your mind." She went to stand with them. "And I'm the Misato that exists in the minds of Father and Mother." 

Misato grinned ruefully. _They still think of me like I'm six years old. Why am I not surprised?_

"This is the Takoru-kun that exists in your mind." Takoru appeared, holding the Sword in one hand and a cup of instant ramen in the other. Misato smirked. _Do I really think of him like that?_ "And this is the Misato that exists in the mind of Takoru-kun." Misato herself appeared, smiling innocently. _Looks pretty much the way I do…wait, he really does think of me as a sister. How sweet. _

"This is the Lilli-kun that exists in your mind." Lilliko appeared, hanging off of Takoru's arm. A dirty smirk was writ large across her face. "And this is the Misato that exists in the mind of Lilli-kun." A slightly younger version of herself appeared, in the same kimono that she wore to the carnival. A slightly apprehensive feeling accompanied the image. 

"This is the Adamu-kun that exists in your mind." Adamu appeared…the way she saw him the morning after Yumana's death's anniversary. The image of Lilliko burst out laughing, and Chibi-Misa giggled. The various older Misato's blushed, and the shirtless image was soon replaced by the one of him fighting Esserach. 

"And this is…" a figure flickered in and out of view. "Oh. I can't show this one." Lilliko's laughter became even louder, and Takoru joined in. The Misatos of Takoru's and Lilliko's minds turned a deeper shade of red. Her father became red with anger, and her mother stifled a chuckle, while Chibi-Misa giggled.

"What?" Misato asked. "Why can't you show what Adamu-kun thinks of me?"

"Because…" Chibi-Misa walked up to Misato and whispered in her ear. "He's in love with you."

"Why is that a problem?" Misato asked. Chibi-Misa giggled even more.

"I mean, he's in love with you…physically." 

Misato blinked. "Well of course." She said haughtily. "I am beautiful." She caught a glimpse of her mother flashing the victory sign and smirked. 

"I mean…" Chibi-Misa whispered in her ear again. This time Misato turned bright red. 

"PERVERT!" 

Adamu suddenly sneezed, almost falling out of his seat next to the hospital bed in which Misato lay. His sister looked over, worried, but he merely blinked and settled back down.

"Wait!" Chibi-Misa cried as Misato stormed over to show Adamu why not to think of her like _that_. "He's just a boy! He can't help it!"

"Then I'll help him." Misato raised back her fist, ready to give Adamu a good old-fashioned Soryu beating. 

"Wait!" Chibi-Misa caught hold of Misato's leg. "Wait a moment!" Misato stepped back and Chibi-Misa stepped in between her and Adamu. 

"You're not supposed to hurt him." Chibi-Misa told her. "You're supposed to remember all the good times you've had with him, and try to figure out why he acts the way he does."

Misato went back to her position in the middle of all the figures and stared at Adamu. "I know why he acts that way. He lost his sister when he was six, and he's traumatized." Chibi-Misa nodded, looking a bit upset. "You know, he would have been a much better person to do this on." Chibi-Misa nodded again, sighing.

"He would, but his conscience is just as quiet and messed up as he is. He went through this after his fight with Unit 14, but came out pretty much unchanged." Chibi-Misa pouted. 

Misato's brow wrinkled. "How do you know all of this?"

"You read it when you opened up his mind." Chibi-Misa answered. "It just got stuck in your subconscious." 

"Oh." She frowned. "Can I at least see how he thinks of me?"

Chibi-Misa looked doubtful, but gave in. "Fine."

She suddenly found herself beneath the cherry tree, kissing Adamu as they tried to fool Takoru and Lilliko into thinking that they were a couple. The image vanished, but the feeling of lips upon hers remained faintly. 

She was back in the group, staring as a figure shimmered into existence next to her view of Adamu. 

Misato stared. "How sweet…" she stood up and walked over to the girl holding onto Adamu, her head on his shoulder, his arm about her waist. "I thought you said…oh." She blinked, and frowned, and turned red, and snarled. 

"Wait! Don't kill him." Chibi-Misa warned. "I know what you really want out of life, and if you hurt him then you'll be sorry."

"But he's sticking his hand into my—" Misato couldn't get herself to say it. "And why are my clothes translucent?" 

Chibi-Misa looked away, unable to contain her giggles. "I told you wouldn't want to see it." She grabbed Misato's leg again. "Besides, he was your boyfriend for a while. He's allowed to have fantasies."

Misato fumed, ignoring her conscience. "Hey! Stop kissing him!" she shouted at herself. "And get away from that pervert!" 

She batted away some cherry blossoms. "Stupid flowers! Hey! You! Get your hand out of my panties!"

Chibi-Misa only giggled, while Lilliko and Takoru laughed and pointed. Misato spun to face them. "And you two. I thought you were my friends! Stop laughing at me!"

"But Misato, don't you think it's romantic?" Lilliko asked. "Ignoring the fact that yes, we can all see through your clothes, and yes, he does have his hand in your pants, but look, he's kissing you, and you're kissing him back, and you're both so completely focused on each other. And there are cherry blossoms and everything feels like spring…"

"I don't care…" Misato took a moment to examine the scene, and, yes, ignoring that anyone could see through her clothes, and that his hand was on her rear, it was romantic. She sighed, returning to the center of the group and sitting down. 

"I guess you're right."

Lilliko, Takoru and Chibi-Misa all nodded. "The reason we're laughing though, well one of them anyway," Lilliko explained, "is that you have been so completely and totally oblivious to his feelings for you." Misato nodded slowly. "You knew, deep inside that he loved you, but you could never realize it."

"If this is supposed to make me feel better, it's not working. He still has his hand in my pants."

Lilliko sighed and turned to Chibi-Misa. "I think we should send her back. There's nothing more we can do." Chibi-Misa nodded, walking back up to Misato.

"It was nice to get to talk to you in person." Chibi-Misa said, kissing Misato on the cheek.

"Yes, it was nice seeing you too." Misato replied. Then everything went black.

"She's waking up!" Misato's first feeling was a warmth next to her…someone was holding her hand. She opened her eyes and found herself looking into Adamu's bright red orbs. 

"Let go of me you pervert!" 

AN: Guess who wrote the scene with Misato and Adamu kissing? Hint: not me.

Anyway, that was my version of an Evangelion-style soul searching. My, that was messed-up. 

Layra-chan: I thought it was cute, with the cherry blossoms and all.

DreyonLegacy: Yes, but the clothing? Was that really necessary?

Layra-chan: Of course. That was the entire reason that Misato wasn't supposed to find out. If she did, everything would be nice and happy. Either that or she would realize that she didn't love Adamu, and he would be heartbroken, and the fic would be angsty and sad, and then we'd have to do a bunch of stuff to wring it around into a touching, bittersweet ending.

DreyonLegacy: Oh.

Layra-chan: Yep. And that's why she wasn't supposed to find out until now, because we still have several more chapters to write, and I don't really like bittersweet unless we're talking about chocolate. 


	39. Sorry for Breaking Your Arm

Rambling, rambling, rambling, important announcement, rambling, sudden realization, funny comment, and rambling.

Can I get that without the rambling?

But then it wouldn't be rambling, rambling, rambling, important announcement, rambling, sudden realization, funny comment, and rambling.

But I don't like rambling!

-adaptation of Monty Python's Spam skit.

Disclaimer: disclaimer, disclaimer…wait, I've already used that gag. Sorry. Don't own Eva.

Fourth Impact

Chapter 38: Sorry for Breaking Your Arm

"She seemed upset at you about something." Adamu shrugged. "I don't think it was about last week, though. Adamu, I'm worried. What did you do to her?"

"It's all right, Lilliko. I'll fix this myself." He pushed past his sister and into the hospital room where Misato lay sleeping again. He sat down beside her and watched as she curled up in her sleep. Suddenly her eyes opened.

"Hey, Misa-chan." She snarled. "Look, I apologize for last week. It was dark, and I was still asleep, and I was just so used to stumbling around the house that I just fell onto my bed without remembering that you were there." She watched him silently. "I have no idea how you ended up in my shirt, but for the rest of it, I'm sorry." She continued to glare at him. He sighed and got up. She suddenly grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. Then she slapped him. 

"That was for sticking your hand in my panties, your pervert." She shoved him away. 

He walked out, wide-eyed and more than a little confused. Lilliko noticed his throbbing cheek and frowned. Whatever he had done…

They were getting ready for dinner when Takoru suddenly asked, "hey, what are your plans for Misa-chan's birthday?" 

The Nagisas blinked in unison. "Misa-chan's having a birthday?"

Takoru nodded. "We have about a week to prepare. It's the biggest thing, every year. My family, and a bunch of people from NERV, and Misa-chan's parents of course, organize a huge party, in a different place each year." He grinned. "This year, I managed to convince the Commander to let us have it in the Bridge at NERV!"

"Oh my." Lilliko grinned. "Well then, I guess we better start thinking, eh?"

"Deransh-san." He looked up at the Commander. "You know why we arrested you?"

"The boy…Esserach Talkenoh." Misato nodded. 

"Did you know about his abilities?" 

Tolben glanced away. "No." 

"You're a very bad liar." Misato told him. "You knew. And the girl."

"Searai Ilana." He muttered. 

"So you knew about her as well." He nodded. "You were in strict violation of our security contract. Less than two decades ago you would have been killed on the spot for such behavior." 

"Let me talk to my superiors." 

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you do that." 

"Excuse me," Misato spun to see Kaoru standing behind her, and arm about his wife's waist. "May I talk to him?" 

Misato glared at him. "Fine. But afterwards we're going to have a little talk ourselves." He nodded, and the women stepped out of the room. 

A few minutes later Kaoru stepped out, and they could hear sobbing from inside the room. Misato stuck her head in and gasped. "Kaoru-kun, he's a mess! What did you do?"

"He understands now, what is really happening." Kaoru explained. "He's crying because he now knows why what he did was so very wrong. Perhaps he can convince the UN to let NERV continue operating." 

Misato shut the door and turned to face the Angel. "Fine then. Now we're going to have our own little talk." She led them to her office. Ritsuko was waiting for them there.

"You knew about the boy." Kaoru nodded. "Why didn't you warn us? Misa-chan almost died because of you."

Kaoru shook his head. "I knew that my son would come through for her. I didn't warn you because I wanted you all to find out for yourselves." He smiled. "I did the same during Third Impact." 

"Third Impact?" Ritusko exclaimed. "What happened with you during Third Impact?"

"I am not human, so I was outside it the entire time." Kaoru told them. "I got to watch as Shinji realized what he really wanted. It was most entertaining."

"Entertaining?" Misato asked a tad harshly. Her memories of Third Impact had not been entertaining. 

"Yes." Kaoru replied. "There's nothing I enjoy more than observing human comprehension." He grinned. "Well, that, and Rei-chan when she's drunk." Rei blushed as Kaoru tightened his hold on her. 

Misato rolled her eyes. 

"So what are we going to do about Deransh-san?" asked Ritsuko.

"We should let him speak to the UN council. Not necessarily to his superiors." Misato said. "And we should make our own statement to the council. It is past time that we let the world know what is happening."

"We can do that after the party. Right now, we have things we need to do."

Adamu sat down, staring up at the clouds. He still had no idea what Misa had meant by that last statement she had made. He'd never touched her like that, why was she accusing him of doing so?

_Perhaps when she read my thoughts…_ he shook his head. He didn't think of her like that, did he? She was attractive, but he would never…

Then he spotted her, sitting beneath her favorite tree. She looked asleep. He strode over to her, crouching next to her.

"Misa-chan?" he got no response. He reached out an arm to touch her shoulder, but found his arm tightly grasped by Misa's hands. She twisted, and he cried out in pain. 

"Don't touch me." she said, sounding almost scared of him. "I don't want any part of your dirty fantasies." 

Adamu blinked. "What?" How did she know—wait! What fantasies?

"Just…leave me alone." She said softly. 

"But, Misa-chan—" She savagely twisted his arm, causing him to cry out again.

"Go away!" she flung him back and he landed on his rear, nursing his mangled arm. "Please, just leave me alone."

He got up and stared at her. "What did I do?" 

"Nothing, yet." She told him. "Just…I need time to be away from you. Please." 

He blinked, and turned to go. 

"Well, thank you for your advice, Kaoru-kun." Misato said after he had finished explaining what he thought should be done with the now depressed Deransh. "Now you go home and enjoy your 'Rei-chan when she's drunk.'"

Kaoru nodded and walked out, Rei close behind. Misato shook her head. "Speaking of drunk…" she reached down to get another beer out of her desk. "Wait a moment, how can an Angel get drunk?"

"Kaoru managed to concoct something that goes straight to the nervous system." Ritsuko told her. "It gets rid of inhibitions, disorients the senses, and slows the higher brain functions. It also does a bit of memory wiping, not as much as alcohol, though." 

"Wait," Misato pondered for a moment. "If it goes straight to the nervous system, does it also make you throw up, and pass out, and have a hangover the next day?" 

"According to him, it does make you pass out if you drink enough, but no throwing up, and no hangovers."

Misato grinned. "And does it work on regular humans, too?" Ritsuko sighed, and nodded. "Hm…"

"I can't believe that he thinks of me that way." Misato sighed. "So maybe my conscience says so. But still…" 

_It was romantic, though._ Said a familiar six-year-old voice. _Very romantic. _

"It was still perverted…sort of…" 

_You have doubts. _

"Well…"

_You have had thoughts of your own._

"That's not important. He's cute, and nice, and everything, of course I've thought about him."

_You liked it when he held you that night._

"Be quiet. I—"

_And you do like him. And he's saved your life…how many times?_

"Well… a lot. And I do like him. But he's still a pervert."

_Is that such a crime?_

"Yes." She said firmly. "Well…" she thought for a moment. "Yes."

_Whatever you say. Either way, here he comes. _

"What?" There he was, walking along holding his arm. He didn't seem to notice her at all, just walking slowly past, muttering under his breath. 

She frowned. She really did some damage to his arm. His hand was twisted at a bizarre angle, and she could see a sharp jut in his sleeve. 

"Um, Adamu…" he spun to face her, suddenly looking very nervous. Their eyes met, and Misa stared as his emotions shot through his red gaze. Perhaps her conscience was right…

"Sorry for breaking your arm."

AN: And the moral of the story is…No clue. 

Thanks for the review, xlax. I didn't think that the chapter was all that good myself, but…


	40. Planning

Last time, on Neon Genesis Evangelion: Fourth Impact

"Watch out!"

"I don't think she's going to make it." 

"Tell him…that—"

Beeeep…

"NO! Lilli-chan!" he cried shaking the girl's body amidst the sound of the steady drone.

"There's nothing we can do."

Disclaimer: I'm running out of funny/bizarre ways to say that I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion. Pout. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 40: Planning

Lilliko awoke with a start, the dream fleeing, and opened her eyes. Takoru was still asleep, his head upon hers. She smiled at him and giggled softly. She still couldn't believe that she had found someone. He had been so kind to her, and had saved both her life and soul more times than he knew…

He pulled her closer at the sound of her giggling, and muttered sleepily, "Hey, that's not funny."

"Of course it is." She whispered in his ear. "It's always funny when it's you."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to try harder..." He held her even tighter, and his lips parted slightly. She smirked and kissed him back, causing him to wake up.

"Lilli-chan?" he asked, "when did your clothes get back on?" She blinked. No mystery what he had been dreaming about. 

"You dirty scoundrel." She accused, kissing him again. "Just you wait till we're old enough. Just you wait."

"With all anticipation." He replied, kissing her back before sliding out of their bed. "We should get up. We have only today and tomorrow before the party." 

She sighed and sat up. "I guess you're right." She yawned and flipped the lights on. "Well, the malls are all closed, so I guess we'll have to be really creative."

"Actually, I have an idea." Takoru pulled on his pants and went searching for his shirt. "We should talk to Adamu first, though."

"Talk to Adamu?" Lilliko asked, staring at his bare torso. 

"Well, it would need the three of us, though if it was really necessary I guess we could do it just he two of us."

"Two of us." Lilliko repeated, still staring. He turned and grinned at her. 

"Like what you see?" She nodded, then caught herself. "Well, you'll be seeing this until you help me find my shirt. You still haven't told me where you packed them all away to."

"I just like a certain view in the morning." She replied, slinking over to him. 

"Well, I am certainly getting a good view. Do you know how thin that shirt you're wearing is?" She nodded, and pushed him away before he could look down it. 

"Wait here." 

"And unless you want me to get a nosebleed this early in the morning, could you put on some pants as well? I can't think with those skimpy panties swinging back and forth like that!" Just a typical morning.

 "A concert?" asked Adamu. Lilliko nodded. 

"You and me play the guitar, and Takoru-chan here is a demon on the drums, though you'd never guess."

Takoru shrugged. "You know me, I just like hitting things." 

"Though I'm guessing that there is something you'd rather bang, eh?" Lilliko asked with a smirk.

"Maybe." Takoru said with dignity.

Adamu pondered. "Why not." He said flatly. 

"Such _enthusiasm_!" Lilliko gushed sarcastically. "You sound _so excited._"

He ignored her and glanced at his arm. "It's a good thing that my arm healed." 

Takoru nodded, then paused. "You know, you never told us how it got broken in the first place."

"Misa-chan thought I was trying to stick my hand down her pants." Adamu told them. They both blinked. "I don't know any more than you do about that."

"I don't blame you," Takoru said sagely, "but do try to get her heart before you go for her privates. It's less painful." He glanced at Lilliko, who was rolling her eyes. "Believe me, I got my knowledge first-hand."

"Really? I'm sure it would work, but to make it would require some special ingredients. I only have so much." Kaoru turned to his wife. "Rei-chan, you know that special wine you like so much?"

"The one that you seduced me with that first time?" she asked walking out of the shower wearing nothing but slippers and the towel she was drying her hair with. She strode up to him and placed her dripping head on his shoulder. He placed an arm about her waist. (AN: Well, looks like someone's a bit more comfortable with Rei's skin then Shinji was…)

"Yes, that one." Kaoru could hear Misato chuckling on the other side of the line. He didn't care. He was almost proud of how he managed to get the real Rei out of her shell and out of her clothes. "Do you think we could make enough for the party?"

"Of course. All we really need is the syrup." 

"What kind of syrup?" asked Misato. 

Kaoru grinned. "Don't ask. Just, we need a lot of chocolate, extra dark, and a lot of cinnamon." 

"And we'll need a distiller." Rei added. 

"And maybe a goat." 

Misato blinked. "I'll connect you to the procurement department." She said, suddenly a tad nervous. Why would they need a goat?

(AN: I have no idea what the hell they're making, but a goat? What can you make with dark chocolate, cinnamon, and a goat that needs a distiller?

Layra-chan: Goat's blood—rmm—mmph—*Tries to wrench DreyonLegacy's hand off her mouth*

DreyonLegacy: That doesn't count.)

"Yes, of course. We have plenty of those." Adamu nodded. "Just pick a color and we can get it to you by tomorrow."

"Red, with blue around it. And make sure Misa-chan doesn't see."

"All right. And don't worry about finding us. We'll find you."

He put down the phone to find his sister behind him. "I know that Takoru said you had to win her heart and all, but don't you think that's a bit too much?"

"You know father. She'll be drunk by tonight, and then I'll find out how she really feels about me. Maybe it isn't as rash as you think." 

"Still, that's a lot just to get into her pants." Adamu sighed.

"I'm not doing this because of that." He paused. "Well, not solely because of that."

Lilliko grinned. "Don't worry, I'm just teasing you. And I'm sure she'll love it." She glanced at her boyfriend, who was writing a letter to his family. "Now if a certain idiot jock/class representative would find the brains to do the same for me…"

"He probably doesn't even realize that you want to." Adamu replied. "And even if he did, he'd be too stupid to realize that no one else will try to stop him." 

"Hey, he may be stupid, but I'm the only one allowed to insult him." Lilliko told her brother. "You stay back."

He rolled his eyes.

"Have we gotten everything set up?" Misato asked. Makoto and Maya nodded, pointing to Furiko who was ordering the technicians about.

"She's almost done. Just a few more adjustments to the decorations."

"And the food?" 

"Shinji-kun's down in the kitchen with Asuka-kun." Maya reported. "If you concentrate you can hear her yelling."

Misato grinned. Sure enough, she could hear Asuka threatening to bite the head off one of the younger cooks. 

"Don't tell me that it's broken! Get someone to fix it! Now get going before I beat you out the door!"

"And Misa-chan?" 

"She's wandering the streets. She seems very thoughtful lately." Said Maya. She leaned closer to Misato. "She asked me how to know if someone loves you."

Misato blinked. Maya nodded. "She seemed very concerned." Maya frowned ruefully. "I couldn't really answer her, so now she's out brooding about it."

"I hope it's not about Esserach." Maya shook her head.

"I don't think so…"

Misa kicked a rock around, staring at her feet. She still felt bad about breaking Adamu's arm, even though it had healed within a few days. Mostly it was the stunned expression on his face, the one of utter disbelief. 

"How do I feel about him? How do I want to feel about him? He's always been so kind to me, and saved my life and soul more times than he knows…"

AN: Next up, the party! What is Adamu getting for Misa? What are Kaoru and Rei concocting? And what will come out when everybody's drunk? Find out on the next exciting episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Fourth Impact!


	41. Party!

Well, school's started. That means I will have actual work to do, and thus less time to work on the fic. That might not mean that I won't be able to write as often. What it does mean is that the fic will once again be threatened by a sudden drop in quality. Unfortunately, I'm sure not all of you will notice. Sigh. The insult stings, but life continues.

Disclaimer: No own nada. This chapter inspired by psyanchosis' _Last Gift She Expected_

Fourth Impact

Chapter 41: Party!

Misato strolled through the park, reveling in the peace and quiet. _Stop kidding yourself. You know that you're looking for Takoru-kun and Lilli-kun. _

She suddenly spotted a pair of figures in the distance. She started to run over to them, but a pair of hands caught her shoulders and a cloth was shoved over her mouth. A funny smell filled her nose, and she blacked out.

She came to in pitch blackness. She got up slowly, and called out, "Hello? Anybody here?" 

Then she heard a soft guitar playing somewhere. She tried to trace the sound, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. It was a haunting melody, and very familiar sounding. "What's that music?" 

Then a huge boom echoed through the room, and the lights flared on. "Happy Birthday!" shouted a dozen voices as Misa realized that she was in the command center of NERV. The guitar was joined by a second, and by a rumbling drum line as the music picked up.

She turned to see Adamu and Lilliko on opposite sides of her, with Takoru up in the commander's balcony. 

"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed as everyone came to greet her and hug her and congratulate her. "Thanks, everyone." 

Misato laughed. "Oh, come on, we do this every year." 

"Yes, but, well, look at this!" she gestured to the table set up, and the decorations. "I mean, you've made the control center completely unusable!" 

Misato blinked, and everyone laughed. "So I went a bit overboard with the decorations."

"Thanks!" Misa hugged her namesake and grinned. She turned to the three musicians. "Turn it up!" 

Another explosive boom reverberated throughout the center as Takoru kicked the switch for the amps. 

"Here, Misa, you get first servings." The gang had settled down for dinner. Everyone was wishing Misa a happy birthday again, and the food, cooked by her parents, was served steaming hot. 

"Wow! My favorite!" she exclaimed. 

Lilliko blinked. "Raw fish?" Misa nodded, shoving a piece of tuna into her friend's mouth. 

The adults, especially Misato, were a bit nervous when Kaoru served his special wine to everyone, including the children, but he said that it was fine. Ritsuko decided to stick with her coffee nonetheless.

One sip of the wine and Misato was hooked. 

They passed the presents out after dinner. From her parents she got a full entertainment set. From Misato she got a promise of driving lessons. From the bridges bunnies she got various accessories, including both a dress and club-wear. From Ritsuko and Maya she got recordings of her parents from when they were her age. 

For their present, her friends simply did a run-through of all her favorite pieces, stopping when a tipsy Lilliko tried to adapt Fur Elise to her guitar.  

Misa studied the wine, wondering exactly what was so special about it. Misato caught her looking. "You should try this, it's great!" 

"I'm only fifteen, Godmother." Misa objected.

"Please, just once?" Misato pleaded. She suddenly jumped on the table and shouted, "Who wants to help get the birthday girl drunk?" 

Lilliko immediately abandoned her guitar and dashed over to them. Makoto laughed and joined them as well, as did Asuka. 

"Well dear?" asked Asuka. "Are you going to show everyone how a Soryu drinks?" 

"Mother!" Misa exclaimed, but Misato simply used her outburst as an opportunity to pour some of the liquid down her throat. She spluttered as it burned her senses, but swallowed. It has an almost sweet taste, with a hint of spice and chocolate. There was something else that she couldn't quite place…

"Makoto-kun, fill a bunch more cups. Asuka, if you would be so kind as to keep your daughter from escaping. Lilliko, you and me can alternate serving her." Lilliko nodded and grinned as Makoto passed her a cup. 

"Here, Misa-chan, drink up." 

"I don't want to." Misa said, blinking rapidly. 

"Of course." She pushed forward and placed her forehead against Misa's. "Now be a good birthday girl and drink." She pressed the cup to Misa's lips and pried open her mouth. Another dose of Kaoru's brew burned its way down Misa's throat. 

She blinked. "Stop that…" she tilted slightly, and her speech was slurred. Misato just poured another glass down her throat, followed shortly after by Lilliko.

Misa suddenly forced her way to her feet. "Look, I think I've had…" she stumbled to the side. "I think I've had enough…" Then her mother was in front of her, plying her with another glass.

"One more, Misa-chan. One more." Never one to refuse her mother directly, she took the glass and drank, blinking. "There we go." 

Misa stumbled again, smiling. "You know, that stuff isn't that bad…" 

Some time later, a bunch of tipsy adults and a drunken birthday girl were watching Lilliko trying to play through the wine-haze. The wine had only made Takoru's playing louder, and Adamu had somehow managed to remain sober, but a drinking contest with Misato had left Lilliko totally inebriated. 

Lilliko cut off in the middle of an instrumental piece and launched into a raunchy song of her own creation about a silver-haired pirate and a quiet blue-haired tavern wench. 

(AN: Guess who it's about. Hint: Not the twins…) Adamu just rolled his eyes and harmonized on his guitar. 

Eventually Misa found herself on stage dancing wildly and singing something with Lilliko. No one ever really figured out what exactly they were singing, but everyone was enjoying it. 

Adamu looked at the clock. It was somewhere around midnight. Rei had dragged Kaoru off for some privacy, a move mimicked by Asuka and Shinji. His sister was in another drinking contest with Misato, Takoru and the bridge-bunnies urging them on. 

He suddenly found Misa staring at him. "You know, Adamu-kun, you smell really nice." He blinked. "Want to go make out?" 

He blinked again, the only sign of his surprise. "How much did you drink?" he asked.

"More than you did." She hiccupped. "Let's go fix that." She dragged Adamu over to the refreshment table and forced a cup sloshing with wine into his hands. "Drink." 

"But—" she was too busy pouring another glass for herself. 

"The birthday girl demands that you drink with her." She said, her voice unsteady and slurred. "Drink." He rolled his eyes and drank, first one glass, then two, then four, then ten…

"You know what, Adamu-kun?" Misa asked, swaying in his arms as they danced to music only they could hear. "I've been thinking, and I realized something."

"Yes?" he asked, not really paying attention to anything.

"I love you." she told him sleepily. 

"That's just the wine talking…" he protested.

"No, I really do." She said firmly. "I've been denying it for some time, but I really do love you." she sighed. "It's pathetic that I had to get drunk in order to admit it." 

"Well, I think that I love you too." He replied shyly, staring off into the distance and holding her close. "And I certainly wouldn't have admitted that if I wasn't drunk."

She pulled her head of his chest. "Kiss me." she ordered. He blinked, taken aback and suddenly sober…ish. "You know you want to. Kiss me. Please? One more birthday present before I pass out? Please? I love you so much…" 

He tilted her chin so that their eyes met, and even through the wine he could sense the power in her eyes. And he could see the emotion, the raw, unshielded emotion. He closed his eyes and met her lips.

Perhaps it was the wine. Perhaps it was her scent, or the taste of her lips, but something kept him from pulling away.

It could have been the pair of arms firmly locked around his back and head, but he was too drunk to realize that at the time. 

It's three o'clock. Do you know where your Children are?

Misato pulled out her phone. "Section 2? I need the locations of Misa-chan and Adamu-kun." 

She nodded. "Good. Just make sure they don't try anything with the plugs." 

Ritsuko glanced at her. "So? Where are they?" 

"They made it all the way to the Eva cages." Misato told her friend. "They're making out on the main deck."

Ritsuko blinked in surprise. "Well, that was unexpected." 

Misato grinned. "That wasn't." she pointed to where Lilliko had Takoru pinned to the wall. She looked as if she was trying to bite his tongue off. He looked slightly less than scared witless.

"Maybe we should separate them before something happens." Ritsuko suggested. Misato shrugged.

"Let them have their fun. Given what they've been through, they deserve it." _Speaking of which, Adamu-kun and Misa-chan are finally getting what they deserve._

AN: What was the point to this chapter? I'm not sure. Stay around for the aftermath.

Layra-chan: Omake! Omake!

DreyonLegacy: No! No—

Omake: 

It's three o'clock. Do you know where your Children are?

Misato pulled out her phone. "Section 2? I need the locations of Misa-chan and Adamu-kun." 

She gasped, shooting out of her seat.

She returned a little while later, a disturbed look on her face. Ritsuko glanced at her. "So? Where were they?" 

"They made it all the way to the Eva cages." Misato told her friend. "Adamu-kun was trying to insert his entry plug into Misa-chan's Unit. Fortunately we managed to manually eject him before he crossed the ego border and synced, but it looked like they were about to merge. They're both being examined for contamination."

Ritsuko blinked in surprise. "At least you didn't catch them trying to have sex." 

Misato frowned. "I thought that's what I just said."

Ritsuko took a moment to review what she'd heard and what Misato had actually said. Then she grabbed Misato's wine cup and downed it. _I need to get out more._

End omake

Layra-chan: Yay! Love in the cages! 

DreyonLegacy: *Shakes head in disgust and leaves quietly*


	42. Aftermath

DreyonLegacy: Why must you always write such dirty—

Layra-chan: Maybe I'm trying to send a message here. Maybe I want something, and someone isn't noticing. 

DreyonLegacy: Maybe you're just trying to be annoying.

Layra-chan: That too.

DreyonLegacy: *sigh* Layra-chan, please, just…quiet.

Disclaimer: Eva not mine, once again, thanx to psyanchosis for the inspiration for these two chapters. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 42: Aftermath

Shinji woke to the sound of crashing. He turned, pulling out of his wife's arms. Walking into the command center he saw that someone had knocked over the guitars. That same someone was crouching holding her head and muttering. One last rub at her purple hair and Misato got up, searching blindly for a drink.

She stumbled over to the refreshments table and grabbed the rest of the wine, downing it in a prolonged gulp. "AAAHHHH." She yelled, waking up. 

Shinji looked around. Takoru and Lilliko were already up and about, chuckling about something. Ritsuko was sitting on a blanket, Maya's head in her lap. The other two bridge-bunnies were still out cold. 

He turned to see Kaoru carrying Rei out into the main control room. Rei still looked drunk, and her hair was wild. Lilliko ran up to them, planting a kiss on their cheeks and giving her father a knowing wink. 

"Morning, Lilli-chan." Rei said sleepily. "Where were you last night?" 

"On top of Melchor." Lilliko replied. "And you, mother?" 

Rei blinked. "I'm…uncertain…" she turned to face her husband, who simply grinned and winked at his daughter. Rei sighed and placed her head against her husband's chest. "Irrelevant." 

"Good morning, Shinji-kun." Kaoru set Rei down in a chair and stood next to Shinji.

"Good morning." Shinji replied. "Have you seen Misa-chan?" Kaoru chuckled softly. 

"She's with Adamu in the cages." He told him. Shinji's eyes widened. "They've been in there since two o'clock last night."

"Oh no." Shinji hurriedly shook his wife awake. She batted him away, then slowly opened her eyes. "Asuka-chan, we have to go find Misa-chan and Adamu-kun, and quickly." 

"Why?" Asuka asked him. "Let them have their fun." Lilliko burst out into raucous laughter. 

"Asuka! They were drunk and without supervision! What if something happened?"

"Given how much she drank, I'd be more worried if something didn't happen." Asuka sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes. 

Shinji stood up. "I'm going to go find them. I have a very bad feeling about this." 

Asuka slowly got to her feet and walked into the main room, greeting Rei and Kaoru. "I see you two had as good a night as I did." Rei smiled and nodded. "Now to go see if I can say the same for my daughter."

Adamu stirred as Shinji entered the cages. He slipped out of the blankets he had gotten for Misa and himself during a rare moment of sobriety and stood up to confront Misa's father. 

"Sit down." Shinji said coldly. "We need to talk." They moved away from the spot where Misa was still sleeping and got comfortable. Neither of them bothered to mention Adamu's lack of a shirt.

"We didn't do anything drastic last night." Adamu said, trying to head off the conversation. "We played around a bit, but nothing happened." 

"That's not quite the point right now." Shinji told him. "What I want is for you two to stop before something does happen. I thought it was bad when you two were a supposedly couple, but then you told everyone that you were just faking it, and so I ignored it. Now, however, it appears that your lying has yet another layer to it."

"I fell in love with her while we were pretending to be a couple." Adamu replied softly. "I wanted to keep going the way we were. No one regretted it more than me when we revealed that it was a hoax." He nodded as Asuka silently sat down beside her husband. "I just wish I knew how she felt." 

"Does she know how you feel?" asked Asuka. Adamu shrugged nervously.

"She might. She knows that I'm attracted to her physically, but I'm not sure if she knows that I love her." He sighed. 

"I got her another present, one from me personally. Actually, I got two, one for if she did say that she loves me, and one for if she didn't. But I still don't know. Last night she said that she loved me, but we were drunk, so I can't trust what I heard."

"I need an answer, any answer. I wanted to express my feelings for her in a way that I could never accomplish with words, but I didn't know how she felt about me."

Misa woke up to feel a strange emptiness beside her. She shivered involuntarily as memories of gentle warmth beside her fled in the cold of morning. Opening her eyes a crack, she found herself staring at her parents talking to Adamu. They were sitting just within listening distance of her, oblivious to the fact that she was awake. 

It took Misa, with her half-asleep mind and barely open eyes, a while to realize that Adamu was topless. It took her even longer to realize that she was too. 

Stifling an indignant scream, she listened to the conversation in hopes of finding out what had happened the previous night, and how she ended up the way she was. 

"I need an answer, any answer." Adamu was saying, his back to her. "I wanted to express my feelings for her in a way that I could never accomplish with words, but I didn't know how she felt about me. If she really loved me or not." He pulled a silver-chained necklace out of his pocket. "This was for in case she didn't." Shinji took it from him to examine it. A silver cross with a ruby in the center hung from the chain, almost a homage to Misato's lost necklace. 

Misa sucked in a breath at what he pulled out next. "And this was for in case she did." 

"Don't you think it's a bit early?" Shinji asked him harshly. Misa cursed her father for being so protective. 

"I love her." Adamu told him. Misa felt her face grow warm at his admission. "I love her, and if she loves me back, then I want to make sure that we have something from each other, some promise. I could die defending her. The attacks are getting stronger and harder. I'd rather die with the pain of having left a wife behind, than to go on not knowing." 

A heavy silence descended, Adamu's rare eloquence leaving everyone stunned. "Can I see the ring?" asked Asuka. Adamu handed her the box. Misa heard her mother gasp in delight. "Adamu, it's beautiful." She looked up at the boy. "Perhaps this makes up for you being such a pervert." 

Adamu mumbled something that Misa couldn't hear. Her mother laughed. "Don't look so upset, I was joking. You have my full approval if you're willing to spend this much on my daughter."

Misa sat up, startling all of them. "I want to see it." The three of them turned in shock to face her. "Adamu-kun, I want to see it." 

"Misa-chan!" her father exclaimed sharply. "You're not dressed." 

Misa rolled her eyes. "Everyone here has seen me before. I want to see the ring."

Adamu scooted over to her, giving her the ring box. She opened it and cradled it in her lap, staring at the ring. Adamu kept trying to examine her face and watch the box without looking at the space between the two objects. His blush betrayed his failure.

"It is beautiful." A blood-red ruby surrounded by little sapphires in a gold band. "It's the exact color of my core…" And the sapphires matched her eyes. "Adamu-kun…" 

He looked away. "I'm being too forward, aren't I." He said, sounding nervous. "You were drunk last night, I shouldn't have taken advantage. You ought to hit me again—" 

She put a hand lightly on his cheek and turned his face so that their eyes met. She could feel his core pulsing in time with hers as all of his suppressed emotions surged to the surface, filling his mind with turmoil and his eyes with tears. 

It is said that the eyes are windows to the soul. Misa pushed her powers forward to use his eyes to examine his heart and mind as well. She pushed past the layers of cold and found the real Adamu she had glimpsed before, the scared, brokenhearted child. The real Adamu, a kind, caring boy who only wanted to be loved, but didn't know what he wanted or what it meant, who was trying vainly to return to the world of human emotion after shielding himself for so long. 

He had saved her life so many times, saved her from harm at the risk of his own life. He had always helped her when she needed it, comforted her when she was sad, talked to her when she was lonely. 

He had always been there for her. Why had she not seen it before? 

She leaned forward shyly and kissed him, a long, lingering kiss, expressing emotions that words could never describe. He tried to pull back, once again trying to deny his feelings, but she held on to him, not about to let him go so soon after finding him. 

Eons later, she pulled back and smiled into his eyes, taking the ring and slipping it on. "Adamu-kun, this is the best present I ever got. Don't you ever leave me." She kissed him again, and this time he returned it.

She cut the kiss off as a wild whooping came over the PA system. "Go Misa-chan!" Shouted Takoru's voice as Shinji sighed in defeat. 

"Get a room you two!" said Lilliko. "Or at least put some clothes on!" Adamu and Misa both blushed. "As much as we're all enjoying the view…" Misa grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around herself, sticking her tongue out at Lilliko. 

And Adamu laughed. For the first time in a long time, he laughed. 

AN: How sweet. How touching. Layra-chan will be sugar-high for the next two days. Not that she wouldn't be anyway, but still…

Anyway, this is the reason that the 'fluff' in the last chapter was strange, to say the least. It was more randomness than romance. 

That's a good line. I ought to use it somewhere else. 

Sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors. I have no pre-reader, and Layra-chan doesn't like spell-checking, so basically I can only fix the things that I notice personally. So, if something is spelled horribly rhonng, sorry. 


	43. Movement

Because I forgot to say it before, I do not condone underage drinking. That is not to say I am strictly against it. That is not to say I have an opinion at all. I just don't want Layra-chan thinking that she can add alcohol to her long list of things to stick in her mouth in order to annoy me. 

Disclaimer: I think I said something about a really detailed disclaimer a few chapters back. See if you can dredge it up and read it. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 43: Movement

Misato woke up with a smile on her face. _What a wonderful dream._ She smiled at the rising sun outside her window. _Adamu actually proposed to me, and I accepted, and we kissed…_Then she noticed the ring on her finger. 

"EEEEK!" 

"…Sorry." She said sheepishly to her irate mother. "I just forgot, I guess." 

"You _forgot?_" Her mother exclaimed. "The most important thing that's happened to you since your birth and you forgot?" She let out an angry breath. "I knew that your Idiot heritage would arise someday, but on this of all things!" 

Misato couldn't help but giggle at her mother. Even after all those years of marriage her mother still called Shinji "Idiot," in front of everyone, and not always affectionately. "Well, then, mother, I'm going to go visit my fiancé, see if Lilli-kun and Takoru-kun have left enough of him to marry." She skipped past her mother and out the door, off to the Nagisas'. 

She knocked on the door and Adamu appeared almost instantly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room, locking the door. 

"Good. You're finally here." He said softly, sitting on the bed next to her. "Now we can elope." 

"What?" Misato asked. They had consent, they didn't need to run away. "Our parents are fine with us getting married."

"It's not to get away from our parents, but from my sister and her boyfriend. They are driving me insane!" he slumped down, sighing heavily. "Takoru is prying into everything I do, asking me when's the wedding, when's the wedding, when's the wedding…"

Misato laughed, and Adamu shot her a glare. "My sister's even worse. She thinks that my rapid proposal is a sign that we…that I…" his face turned red. Misato's laughter stopped, turning into a semi-horrified grin. 

"You don't mean…" he nodded.

"Yes. She thinks I got you pregnant during the party." 

Misato's laughter burst forth even louder than before. "Oh, that's priceless!" she exclaimed falling back onto his bed. "Oh, to see the look on her face when you tell her that you did!" 

"What?" he exclaimed in an almost perfect imitation of her previous outburst. "When I tell her that I _did?_" 

She nodded. "You tell her that, I deny it, we let them come to the their own conclusions. Then we let them stew for a while, and when they're all riled up about it, we spring the truth on them."

"But…" She sat up and kissed him, and his resistance wavered. "Remember what happened last time we tried to pull something like this." Her forced out as their lips parted. Misato sighed.

"You're right. But in case we ever need to get revenge on them for something, we have it in storage." He nodded. 

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinking of spending some nice, romantic time with my fiancé." Misato told him sultrily. "Maybe take a walk in the park, have a picnic…" she grinned at Adamu, "Then later tonight we could make out in the moonlight…"

He merely watched her impassively. "Alright, so I'm being fuzzy right now." She said, letting the mood die. "I just woke up, what do you expect?"  

"I expected you to kiss me, tell me to stop being so cold and stubborn, and then drag me off somewhere so that you can make me do ridiculous things for your amusement." He replied bluntly. She smiled.

"I could do that." She flung her arms about him and kissed him soundly, pushing him back so that she was lying on top of him. She absently wondered if they would actually need to part, as neither of them used their lungs. 

She pulled back out of a feeling that she should more than from any need. She couldn't get up, though, as his arms were firmly wrapped around her. 

"Hey, Adamu-chan," she said, "why don't you come live with me? We could wake up like this every morning, and go to sleep in each other's arms…" 

"No." Misato frowned at her father. "After the party, I don't trust you with my daughter." 

"Father!" Misato exclaimed. "Look, we just got engaged. Unlike some people I could name, our first priority isn't to have children." Shinji and Asuka blushed. "We just want to be with each other more, and get a romantic setting that won't be interrupted by Lilli-kun and Takoru-kun." She turned pleading eyes on her parents. "Please?" 

"I still don't trust him." Shinji told her. Misato turned to her mother, giving her the well-known forlorn puppy look. Her mother just smirked at her, and Misato then remembered that that expression had never worked on her mother, given how often Asuka used it herself on her husband. 

But Asuka took her side anyway. "Shinji-chan, I'm starting to get tired of your whining. Let him stay here for at least some nights." She turned to Adamu. "You did ask your parents, right?" 

"They agreed." He told her. "Mother pretty much kicked me out of the house." 

"See?" Asuka said to her husband, "They want him here, I want him here, she wants him here, he wants to be here, you're the only one who has any objections, and a stupid one at that." She put an arm around his shoulders and squeezed. "Now do as I say or I will have to hurt you."

"Yes dear." 

"So this is where you have been hiding!" She pulled the boy out of the little cubbyhole and into the sunlight. "You shouldn't hide from me, Raisho. What would Kiran think if I told him that I let you escape?"

He didn't reply.

"We need to stay together so that when we attack, we'll have the strength to defeat Adam's minions." She told him sweetly. "Now get up. Kiran is making us something to eat."

They strolled over to where another boy was holding a pot in his hand. The bottom of the pot was bright red as he held his other hand beneath it. From his palm sprouted little tongues of flame that licked at the pot, causing the soup inside to boil.

"Raiterasho, Ilissalra." Kiran greeted the two of them. "The soup will be done soon."

"Please," the girl protested, "call me Issa. My name is too long."

"I like Ilissalra better." Kiran told her, placing the pot onto a small pile of rocks. "And Raiterasho doesn't mind my using his full name." 

"That's because Raisho doesn't like talking to anyone," Issa replied, "and in order to tell you not to call him Raiterasho, he'd have to talk to you."

"Either way, the soup's done." He served out the soup and sat back to watch as his two traveling companions ate. He didn't understand them. Raiterasho kept running off, and Ilissalra always insisted on finding him. And Raiterasho never spoke, in any language. Ilissalra was always the one to talk for him. Raiterasho's expression was always neutral, he moved as if he didn't care, and he never spoke. 

Ilissalra spoke more than enough. "Well, I think that we must be nearing Unit 17. I can feel its presence." She said, blowing on her hot soup. "Raiterasho thinks so too." 

"I have no idea." Kiran admitted. "But if you think so," he finished off his soup, "then I guess we should speed up." Issa nodded. Raiterasho didn't respond, only sipped quietly at his soup. 

"I've been getting odd signals from Lillith." Issa remarked. "Apparently she's taken a host, and has gotten a lot closer to Adam recently."

"They aren't in the same body, are they?" asked Kiran. Issa shook her head.

"No, silly. If they were, Fourth Impact would have happened already, and they would both be dead." She told him. "No, they're close, but in different bodies."

"Good. If they were to trigger Fourth Impact that way…" he shuddered. Lillith's Chosen had been created during Third Impact, born nine months after. They had been given sixteen years to develop their powers, though some, like Jenny and Searai, decided to keep younger bodies by modifying their AT fields. 

Another Impact would wipe them out, possibly replacing them by yet another group of Angel-like humans. Each Impact would do so, until Humanis was resurrected. Or at least, that's what Lillith said. But if she died…

The Tenth Chosen shook his head. He was supposed to be the cheerful one of the trio. The Fifth was the cold, serious one. The Eighth ended up in the middle, a position she always hated. 

He waited for Ilissalra to finish her soup before getting up. "So, shall we go? We still have plenty of daylight left." 

"Let's go." 

Deep underwater Unit 17 lay in waiting. They were coming. Its pilot was pleased. Unit 17 was concerned, however. Something about helping Lillith's Chosen felt wrong, but the Eva was unable to discern what. 

AN: Guess what this chapter was for! Bingo, Character Introduction! 

By the way, I realized that the original Children's birthdays would have to be very close together if they were all born nine months after Second Impact. Oh well, I'm not going to do anything about it, not this far into the story. 

I just watched Hoshi No Koe (Voices of a Distant Star.) Lots of emotion, lots of romance, and angst, and things going BOOM. Very beautiful. Watch it.


	44. Friends

Because I once again forgot to make an announcement, I'm telling you now that you have read over 200 pages. That is, if you read all of the chapters instead of skipping. Anyway, I should have told you this two chapters ago. 

Layra-chan: For once it was not my fault. *Pout*

DreyonLegacy: I thought you would have been happy that I screwed up on my own without your help. 

Layra-chan: No! It should always be my fault. That way I annoy you more. 

DreyonLegacy: ?

BTW: this chapter will not be about the people in Tokyo 4, or those weird three who are looking for Unit 17. This will be about the hopefully not forgotten dysfunctional trio of Ariline, Dai-syo and Samantha.

Samantha: Why is my name last?!

DreyonLegacy: Alphabetical order. Blame the Ancient Greeks.

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story are original and thus mine. The series that this fic is based off of is not mine. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 44: Friends

"Samantha?" Ariline slowly walked up to the girl, who was sitting on their bed holding her head in her hands. Her messy green hair was tangled and mussed, and a small puddle was forming on the floor. Ariline fought the urge to run away. Samantha had slept restlessly the previous several nights, and became increasingly depressed each day. Ariline didn't usually help people with emotional problems, given the number of times she had been rejected in the past, but she felt a need to comfort her roommate, to return some favors owed. "Is something the matter?" 

"Don't talk to me." Samantha spat. 

"Samantha, if it's something I did, I'm sorry." Ariline told her. She sat down next to Samantha. "Tell me, what did I do?" 

"It's not your fault. Just leave me alone." Came the muffled reply. Samantha turned away from the blonde girl, unwilling to let her see the tears tricking out. _Why her? Why did he have to fall for her? _Samantha clenched her eyes, trying to keep her sorrow from the girl beside her. _Anyone else, I would have had a chance. _

Ariline cautiously put an arm around Samantha's shoulders, but Samantha pulled away. "Samantha—"

"Please, I want you to leave me alone!" she exclaimed. She slid over, away from the blonde. "It hurts…" she whispered, not knowing that Ariline could hear her. "Every time he looks at you instead of me, it hurts."

Ariline stared at the floor, unsure of what to say. She had had no clue that Dai-syo felt that way about her. It had taken her long enough to figure out that Samantha felt something for the Chinese boy. 

She sighed. The poor girl was in love, and he was in love with someone else. Ariline smiled ruefully. It was all very ironic, because she could never love Dai-syo back. Not the way that he wanted. 

"Samantha?" She asked softly. "Can I ask you a personal question?" 

"I'm too upset right now to stop you." she replied.

"Are you in love with Dai-syo?"

"Don't say that word!" Samantha flared shooting to her feet. "Don't say that damn word to me, ever! I hate hearing that stupid, wretched word!" she spun away from Ariline. "You don't know what it means. Love is nothing but pain. Pain, and misery, and jealousy!" 

Ariline cowered back from her. The green-haired American stormed to the other side of the room, starting to pace back and forth. "I hate it when people use that word when they have never felt so-called love themselves. They don't know what they are talking about, and think that it really describes what happens!" She shot a glare at Ariline. For a moment Ariline feared that Samantha would summon her AT powers and kill her, but Samantha simply snarled once and shook herself. "Just…don't use that word." She said, breaking out of her rage. "Please." She sat down next to Ariline again, the tears falling freely. 

"Sorry." Samantha said softly. "Sorry for yelling at you." 

"It's alright." Ariline told her. 

"No it's not alright." Samantha said firmly. "People hate you because you are so perfect. I should know better. I'm sorry." 

"Why do people hate me if I am supposedly perfect?" Ariline asked, confused.

"Envy. Jealousy. We all feel it. We don't understand loyalty, or forgiveness, or mercy, all we humans know is betrayal and revenge and cruelty. You, you know loyalty, and mercy, and forgiveness. You understand all these virtues and more, things that we cannot comprehend. And that's why people hate you. Because you are so much better than the rest of us." She burst into sobs. Ariline hesitantly put her arms around the weeping girl, letting the tears fall onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" Samantha whimpered. 

Ariline could only sit there rocking the girl, shocked by the sudden display of emotion. "Apology accepted. We all have our own problems to deal with." 

A while later Samantha composed herself again. "Sorry for making such a scene." She said. 

Ariline smiled and held out a hand. "Friends?" she asked. Samantha stared at her hand, then slowly clasped it.

"Friends." Samantha gave Ariline a peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

Ariline giggled. "Be careful, Samantha. I really like you, and you shouldn't be giving me ideas." Samantha stared at her in horror. Ariline giggled. "Sorry. Just giving you a taste of your own medicine. Don't worry." 

(AN: Wouldn't that be an interesting scenario? Ariline would like Samantha, who likes Dai-syo, who likes Ariline, but not the other way around. A threesome doesn't work because the affections are not two-way, but…It would be a real love-triangle, not one of those badly named v-shaped relationships.)

They talked late into the night, neither of them moving much. Samantha did most of the talking, but Ariline felt compelled to speak whenever she could, more than happy to discuss anything with her new, and possibly first, friend.

"…If we destroyed Adam, we wouldn't have these problems." Samantha told her. "If Fourth Impact occurred, we could transcend these bodies, which keep us from understanding each other." 

"I can't." Ariline replied. "I can't help you. I care for you, I really do, but…Unit 16 wouldn't survive Fourth Impact, not if Adam dies. I care for her too."

Samantha nodded slowly. "Yes, I guess I understand. I killed a few of my friends before, never want to do it again. But…how can you feel that way about a robot?"

"She's not a robot." Ariline retorted, unaware of her use of the feminine pronoun. "She's a sentient person. And she protected me."

"Ariline, Unit 16 absorbed you." Samantha told her. "It took your body, tore it apart, and pulled your consciousness into wherever an Eva sticks extra minds."

"That wasn't her fault." Ariline protested. "She did that to protect me from the people at NERV, who were trying to turn me into an experiment. And she kept me alive when she could easily have destroyed me and gone free." 

"Evas never cause people anything but pain. It's a monster—"

"Stop that." Ariline suddenly exclaimed. "She's not a monster. Just because she's not human doesn't mean that she's not a person too." 

"Then what is Unit 16, if it's not human? Is it some kind of animal?" 

"No!" Ariline cried. "What do you all have against her?"

"It is part of Adam, our enemy!" Samantha replied fiercely. "It is one of very creatures that Dai-syo and I are trying to destroy, to free us!" she paused. "Speaking of which, where is Dai-syo?"

Suddenly an explosion lit the night sky. They both hurried to the window. 

"They're fighting!" Ariline rushed over to the door, slipping her shoes on and running out into the night, Samantha close behind her. 

They found Dai-syo and Unit 16 squaring off in a large clearing. "Stop!" Ariline cried, jumping in front of the combatants. Too shocked to respond properly, both Unit 16 and Dai-syo let off bolts of power at her. Ariline shrieked at light came at her from either side, blinding her…

She opened her eyes, staring at the orange glow around her. Samantha stood before her, arms outstretched, a wan smile on her face. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Ariline answered. "Thank you." She watched as both Dai-syo and Unit 16 calmed, then nodded to Samantha, who lowered her AT field. 

"What do you two think you're doing?" she demanded. Unit 16 reared back, roaring, and Dai-syo glared at the Eva. "Look at me." she ordered. "What do you think you are doing? You could have killed each other!" 

"We were just having a friendly spar." Dai-syo told her. He looked shocked, and Samantha didn't blame him. None of them had ever seen her this upset. "Nothing major."

"Nothing major?" Ariline flared. "Nothing major? You almost brought down the SSDF on us!" Samantha watched as Ariline berated the two, waving her arms and nearly shrieking. Though she knew she would have felt differently if she were the one being yelled at, Samantha couldn't help but chuckle. That innocent little blonde had both of them absolutely wrapped around her finger. And was that…_guilt_ on Dai-syo's face? 

She sighed. "If only she wasn't so perfect." 

AN: I really need to be more careful when dealing with these three. I almost gave the 'surprise' conclusion to their story away. I almost gave the entire story away! Fortunately, I managed to twist their words sufficiently. If anyone can guess how things end up with this group, send me a review and I will mention your name somewhere, hopefully in a flattering way if I remember to. 

An observation: I have killed more individuals than almost any other story that I've read. Not people; I've read, and written, stories in which entire countries are obliterated. But those people aren't individuals, they don't have names, they don't have personality (defects.) But with Lillith's Chosen, I've created a very large group of people, who all have individual, semi-well formed personalities, and who all have to die. I'm not sure if this is good or bad, considering the series that I'm working in.


	45. Unit 17's Awakening

DreyonLegacy: Okay, Layra-chan, I'll admit it's possible, but it is still _exceedingly _difficult to break dance in a straightjacket.

Note for the reader: *…*indicated telepathic speech

Disclaimer: There's been a crackdown on the various file-sharing networks, so I _really_ don't own Eva now. I do own a copy of the "Asuka the Black Knight" video clip, which inspired a chunk of this chapter.

Fourth Impact

Chapter 45: Unit 17's Awakening

"We're here!" Issa exclaimed, hopping out of their stolen truck and onto the cliff. Raiterasho and Kiran descended more slowly, Kiran wary of the sharp drop to either side of them. "Unit 17 is below us."

"In the water?" Kiran peered down the cliff-face. "Are you sure?" 

Issa nodded. Suddenly a howl burst out from the cliff as rocks tore themselves loose. An orange glow swirled into being beneath them, descending until it touched the water. The waves spun outward, creating a vacuum as the water flowed away. 

Then Unit 17 began to ascend the cliff, smashing in footholds and handholds. 

Unit 17 looked down at the humans before it. Its pilot was happy. But the feeling of apprehension only got worse for the Eva. They wanted something that it couldn't, wouldn't give. 

It reached a hand out and held it over the three, preparing to flatten the threat. But something held it back. One of the humans, pushing an AT field against Unit 17's hand, said something to the others, and they stepped back. 

Unit 17 roared. 

Kiran and Issa took off as Raisho's AT field pushed at Unit 17's hand. Kiran held out his own hand, and a stream of orange fire shot out, crashing into Unit 17's chest. Unit 17 didn't even react, so Kiran turned up the power as Issa's winds shrieked and tore at Unit 17. 

Unit 17 dug its feet into the cliff and raised its other hand, slicing horizontally over the outcropping. Raisho was knocked aside, and Kiran and Issa were knocked back. A flame shot out and hit it straight in the eye, and Unit 17 screamed, falling back. It grabbed the cliff before it could fall further, Raisho neatly trapped between two fingers. Raisho jumped back and away just as Unit 17 regained its footing. 

Its pilot was screaming for it to stop. But it was useless. The pilot was nothing more than a soul now, trapped in the core. Unit 17 was free, and would stay that way. 

Another beam of fire lashed out and Unit 17 dodged, hauling itself fully onto the cliff. It towered above the humans. Knowing better than to try and step on the AT-field equipped humans, it resorted to kicking at them, but still to no effect. 

A sudden wind buffeted it, pushing it backward. 

Issa unleashed another gale, knowing that it would only distract the Eva. 

Then Unit 17 shot up its AT field, knocking them all back. She spun her winds around to hit it from behind, and it stumbled forward, barely missing Kiran. He yelped as a huge foot appeared next to him. 

Then Raiterasho reached out and touched a mind. It was a strange, inhuman mind, one of blood and death and hatred. A quick lurch and he could see through its eyes, down at the humans below. Just as it tried to grab at one of the humans, Raiterasho took control. 

_*You are mine now.* _Unit 17 roared, trying to force the strange presence from its mind. Losing its footing, it tumbled backwards, falling down toward the sea below. 

And it mutated. Armor exploded off, splashing into the swirling waters. The arms grew longer and thinner, as did the legs. Unit 17 continued to shift, its neck and head shrinking until they were no more than an orb buried between the shoulders. 

Kiran and Issa looked on in horror as the now headless Unit 17 made its way back up the cliff. It drew a Progressive knife from a shoulder panel and stabbed it down at the three. Issa screamed as her body was torn apart by the blade. 

Raisho snarled and shoved his mind back into that of Unit 17. Unit 17 began to raise the knife again, but he held the Eva back, forcing it downward. 

Kiran watched in astonishment as the Eva knelt before Raisho, putting the knife back into its sheath and holding a hand out. Raisho hopped onto the outstretched hand, beckoning for Kiran to join him. 

"What just happened?" 

_*That's the power that Lillith granted me.*_ Said an unfamiliar voice. Kiran stared at Raisho. *_I can enter and control minds. I have taken over Unit 17.*_

Raisho gestured and Unit 17 rose to its feet, walking slowly forward. Kiran sat down, staring blankly ahead as his mind tried to process what he'd learned. 

"We've got an AT field approaching!" shouted Makoto. "Wait…there are three!"

"What blood pattern?" Misato demanded, pulling out her phone to call the Children. 

"The Magi aren't returning answers." He replied. "We've got a visual."

Misato stared at the picture in front of her. It was an Eva, a tall, headless Eva. 

"Misa-chan!" she shouted into the phone. "Are the others with you?" 

Misato snarled at the answer. "Well, get over here as soon as you can. Tell Adamu to go to the northern sector."

She then called Lilliko, telling her to get Takoru and come to NERV.

Lilliko and Takoru arrived quickly, slipping into their Evas and launching to meet the rogue Eva. Just then, a beam of fire flew from Unit 17's hand and smashed Takoru in the chest. 

"AH!" He fell back, and Lilliko opened fire on the Eva. Two tiny figures leapt off the Eva's hand, one onto the top of a building, the other gliding to the ground.

"What was that?" Takoru demanded, getting up. He raised the Sword and charged at Unit 17, but was caught by a long arm. Lilliko dodged the Eva's other arm, and slashed at Unit 17 with her ax. Unit 17 merely kicked her aside, grabbing Unit 19's neck as it did so.

"What the—" 

Adamu watched as the second person descended to the ground, then opened fire. He managed to shoot off three bullets before a raging fire burst from Kiran, heading straight toward him. He pulled up his AT field and rolled to the side, ducking behind a pile of old debris. He drew the Splinter that Takoru had lent him, and prepared to face his enemy. 

Raiterasho made his way across the rooftops, heading toward the center of the city. As he spotted his target, he let go of Unit 17 and ducked into the streets. 

He got to NERV quickly and took control of a guard, getting him to open the door. As Raisho slipped inside, he also grabbed the guard's gun and put him to sleep.

As he slid through the passages of NERV, disabling the guards and technicians as he came across them, he could hear the battle raging outside. Unit 17, now free of his control, was even fiercer than before. 

He came to a room filled with Bakelite that surrounded his target. He snarled and fired at the red blockade, but the bullet merely became embedded in the stuff. 

He made his way up the stairs into the main control room, quickly grabbing a mental hold on everyone in the room. He made Furiko drain the Bakelite and then sent everyone to sleep. He shot the control panels for good measure. 

What he hadn't expected was the safety measures installed after Iruel. As soon as he shot the first panel titanium doors began to close all around NERV headquarters. He barely made it into the formerly filled chamber before the door closed behind him. 

He looked around and saw another chamber, made of thick titanium. Inside was his target. 

He pulled out his gun and shot the guards waiting for him, then stepped into the chamber. 

He was met with the strongest AT field he had ever felt. 

Lilliko shrieked and brought the ax down again, cutting a notch in Unit 17's elongated arm. As soon as she pulled the blade out, though, another arm burst from the wound, catching her in the face. 

She fell back, glaring at the now seven-handed Unit 17. Takoru was on the other side of it, threatening it with the Sword. Though Takoru's sword could chop off limbs without others growing in immediately, Unit 17 always recovered from his attacks as well. 

"This is like fighting a hydra!" Takoru exclaimed. Attracted by the sound of his voice, Unit 17 struck. Three arms grabbed Takoru, one on his neck, one on his arm, one of his face. He managed to slice through the arms, but the hands remained attached to his body. 

"Damn!" He tried to pull the hands off as they began to spurt LCL.

Ariline urged Unit 16 onward, hoping that she wouldn't be too late. A faint prickle on her back told her that Samantha and Dai-syo had managed to hitch a ride on Unit 16's carapace. 

"Ariline, what are you doing?" Samantha demanded.

"Someone's about to set off Impact!" She screamed in reply. "I have to stop them!"

Adamu was flung backwards as a beam of fire took off his left arm. He dropped the Splinter and it fell away. 

"Now stand aside worthy adversary." Kiran commanded him.

" 'Tis but a scratch." Adamu object, struggling to his feet.

"A scratch? Your arm's off"

"No it isn't." Adamu replied stubbornly.

"Then what's that?" Kiran pointed to the remains of Adamu's arm, lying in the street.

Adamu looked away contemptuously. "I've had worse." 

"You lie." Kiran sounded almost upset at his arrogance. "No matter. I will just have to finish you off."

He unleashed another bolt of fire at Adamu's head but instead of dodging or blocking the blow, Adamu reached out and _caught _the flames. Kiran stared as Adamu, an AT field around his hand, closed his fingers around the fire and yanked it out of Kiran's grasp. 

Kiran screamed as a chunk of his AT field was ripped from him. Adamu took the now limp flame-shaped AT field and attached it to his cauterized shoulder, standing up. 

Then Adamu _roared._

Raisho pushed at the AT field, with both body and mind, but it was no use. Adam's power was greater than his own. Unless…

Misa could feel something cold touching her AT field, so incredibly cold and dead. And relentlessly hostile. It hurt, like nothing she had ever felt, like the tip of a freezing blade pressed to her throat. Then it was through.

_*Hello, Misa-chan*_

AN:

Layra-chan: We're finally getting some action! Yay!

DreyonLegacy: *trying very hard not to misinterpret Layra-chan's comment* Yeah, I noticed that the story was getting very dialogue heavy. That, and I wanted to finish the story in less than 60 chapters. At this rate I should be done by about chapter 50-something.

Anyway, I finally managed to get in another reference to the series. Can Angels go berserk? Sync ratio…forget it. 


	46. Games

Layra-chan, for the last time, dihydrogen monoxide is not poisonous! 

Layra-chan: but it's a major component of acid rain! And it's corrosive, and if it gets in your lungs you die. And withdrawal is fatal! 

DreyonLegacy: Sigh. This is why we take chemistry in school.

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you, I do not own Eva!

Note for the reader: *…* indicates telepathic speech

Fourth Impact

Chapter 46: Games 

_*Hello, Misa-Chan*_

"…and thus it fell, the empire stretched too thin to continue…" She closed her eyes as the teacher continued to ramble. 

Her stomach suddenly jumped. She stood up, ignoring the teacher's demands that she sit down again, and strode out of the classroom and into the hall. Propping herself up against the wall, she swore under her breath. It was beginning to hurt again.

People passed her, staring at her, whispering to each other. She only glared at them. They didn't understand what it was like for her. They didn't lose both parents to a criminal syndicate. 

She had been passed from abusive foster parent to abusive foster parent ever since. She had eventually found out that her parents were killed for betraying the syndicate. She felt no remorse for them. But the constant threat of being killed loomed too large in her life. 

Nightmares plagued her every night, and she tried to withdraw from the world, only to be mocked for her silence or beaten for her disrespect. She hated everyone now, including herself. Drugs didn't help, neither did alcohol. All she wanted was revenge. But her life was no longer in her control, and she didn't enjoy the taste of cold retribution.

And the bomb lodged in her chest…She strode over to the girl's bathroom and stepped inside. Into a stall she went, pulling her shirt up. There it was, right beneath her bosom, the smooth red surface gleaming as if mocking her. She groaned as her ribcage protested the bomb's presence. But if she took it out, it would explode. 

She stepped out of the stall, starting to pull down her shirt, when a hand touched her shoulder. She turned to see a girl with silver hair standing behind her. The girl had pale, almost alabaster skin and blood red eyes. 

"I know who did this to you." The girl said quietly. "I can take you to him." 

"I know who did this." She responded. "A bunch of thugs did this. They killed my father and mother."

"But you don't know who sent them. You know that it was a syndicate, but not who. I do." The girl told her. "And I can help you get revenge." She leaned forward, suddenly interested in what the girl had to say. "The one you're looking for is Adam. Black all over, skin, hair, eyes, clothes." The silver-haired girl told her. "Meet me tomorrow after school."

"Why are you helping me?"

"I also want revenge on him, for what he did to me and my family." The girl replied. "But I'll let you kill him. I'm not the one with a bomb in my chest."

The redhead peered at the girl, trying to figure out why she looked familiar. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

The girl smiled. "I doubt it. My name is Lillith." 

"Misa." Came the reply.

"Lillith?" Misa asked. The silver-haired girl stepped out of the shadows and gestured for her to follow. 

They made their way to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the city. "Here he is." Lillith told her as they hid in the bushes nearby. Misa looked up to see the words Tokyo 4 painted in faded letters on the front of the building. 

"So, he's in there?" Lillith nodded. 

"His base of operations is in there." Lillith told her. "He usually stays in there, running NERV from behind the scenes."

"NERV?" Misa asked. 

"That's the name of the syndicate." Lillith replied. "Now, I can get you in, but you'll have to find Adam on your own." Misa nodded. 

They went up to the guard at the door and Lillith flashed an ID. The guard stepped aside and they slipped in.

Lillith quickly abandoned her, saying that she was gong after her own revenge. Misa nodded and looked around. She spotted a ladder going up into the ceiling. Deciding that that was probably where Adam was, she climbed up and into a secret room atop the warehouse. She pulled out her gun as she jumped off the ladder. 

There he was, sitting in a throne. Pure black, just as Lillith had described him. He was lanky, and very handsome. 

She raised her gun. "Remember me?" she demanded. Before he could answer, though, two people stepped out of the shadows. One was a slim girl with light blue hair with a strong resemblance to Lillith, the other a tall, well built boy with brown hair. They both attacked her. 

She fought back, holding her own against the two. But for some reason she couldn't pull the trigger. So instead she smashed a fist into the girl's temple, knocking her out, then delivered a snap kick to the boy's jaw, sending him flying across the room. 

She turned to Adam, who had launched out of his seat and running toward her. She discarded her gun and punched him as he knocked her back. 

The two wrestled back and forth until Misa got Adam beneath her, sitting on his chest with both hands around his throat. 

Misato pulled her head up from the control panel, looking around. Suddenly she gasped as she realized what had happened. Grabbing a gun from a fallen security guard, she made her way to the room in which Misa had been hidden. 

Ignoring the two guards lying on the floor, she ran to the run that Misa had been in and saw a boy standing in the doorway, a crimson spike in one hand. He was completely still, the spike held as if being pushed into something. A streaming orange cape flowed from his back. Raising the gun, she fired. The bullet tore through the cape, which dissipated, and the boy's body melted. 

He had been holding a chunk of the Lance. 

An orange AT field shot into place just before the boy's remains, and Misa was once again inaccessible. 

The scene around her tilted sharply, then shattered into a million pieces. Misa watched as the boy beneath her became a girl. She spun as Lillith screamed and burst apart, revealing Raisho. 

He fell to his knees, catching himself on his hands as sweat flew from him. A stream of LCL poured from his mouth for a moment. Then he struggled to his feet and glared at Misa. The LCL faded into the white that surrounded them. 

_*So, my body has been destroyed. I am trapped.* _he said silently. *_No matter. I will kill you anyway.*_

"Who are you?" Misa demanded. "What are you doing here?" she got up off the unconscious girl and leveled a piercing stare at him. 

_*I am here to destroy Adam's soul.*_ Raisho replied. An orange blade appeared in his hand. He charged. 

Misa flung up her AT field around herself and the black girl, realizing that Raisho was after the girl lying at her feet. She watched as Raisho stepped back and launched a fireball at her, then a bubble, which settled on her AT field and exploded, trying to expand into her field. 

The bubble was followed by a spike, jabbing at her. She could feel her defenses being worn away. It was only a matter of time. 

Adamu charged at Kiran, using his stolen arm to block Kiran's bolts of fire. Kiran began to fall back, suddenly scared, and his shots became wild as Adamu approached. 

Adam began to say something, but it dissolved into a roar as he swung the sword, chopping off first Kiran's left arm, then his leg, then his other arm. Kiran fell, fire spewing from his wounds.

Adamu didn't stop though, slicing off chunk after bloody chunk of Kiran's body, then jamming the Sword into Kiran's eye, tearing the orange half-mask that Kiran wore in two. Kiran instantly dissolved, the fires shooting outward and slamming into the buildings around them. 

Adamu fell to his knees as the buildings collapsed, his AT field blocking the falling debris.

Misa could feel the whip curling around her field, crushing it in. 

_*You will die, Adam.* _Raisho promised. *_You will DIE!*_

Suddenly the girl lying next to Misa stirred and rose to her feet, power crackling around her. "I am sorry to disappoint you, Lillith, but this is not over yet." Adam said softly. "You should have realized that you are not in a human mind, but in that of an Angel. And thus, my power dominates here."

She raised a hand and a beam of light shot out, passing through Misa's AT field and hitting Raisho square in the chest. The boy was flung back, landing with a dull thud. Adam didn't wait for the boy to recover before striking again. Her AT field expanded to meet Misa's, merging then shooting outward again like an explosion, picking up Raisho and tearing him to pieces. 

"Tell Lillith that I'm waiting!" Adam shouted. "And I am AWAKE!"

Takoru dodged another hit, yanking the third hand off Unit 20's shoulder. Suddenly a fist caught him in the eye, and a pair grabbed onto his throat, lifting him into the air. As the air was forced from his lungs by a fourth arm, he tried to dislodge the hands around his throat but found himself unable to. 

The Splinter Sword fell from his hands landing by Unit 19's feet. 

Lilliko watched in horror as her boyfriend was slowly choked. She tried to get to him, but three hands held her back. She could only watch as Unit 20's feet kicked, then slowed, then stopped.

"NO!" he was dead. He was dead. It had killed him It had killed her boyfriend. It had killed the boy she loved. It had killed the one person who she had all to herself. And she had no one once again. 

She was alone. 

Alone. 

Alone

… 

_I don't want to be alone._

"NO!" her scream turned into a roar as her sync ratio shot up. 

Unit 19 tore the hands off its body and snatched up the Splinter Sword. The Sword's hilt sunk into Unit 19's hands, followed by the blade. Then the fingers of both hands burst into huge glowing crimson claws, the toes also growing talons. Unit 19's armor burst off as the neck shot out, lengthening as the head elongated and became lizard-like. Wings sprouted from Unit 19's back, and a tail flowed out from the hips. A line of red spikes lined Unit 19's spine as it fell to all fours, its head towering over Unit 17. 

Unit 19 leapt forward, its claws rending Unit 17's body easily. It quickly chopped off all ten arms and sunk its teeth into Unit 17's chest, tearing out a huge chunk. Knocking Unit 17 to the ground, it used its four limbs to tear Unit 17 into four bloody pieces, then shredded each portion. Finally it reached the core. It picked the core up with its mouth, then crushed down with its teeth. The core shattered, exploding, but Unit 19 somehow contained the explosion between its jaws. Then it looked down at the carnage that had been Unit 17's body, and began to eat. 

Moments later, the beast looked over at Unit 20's still prone body. It slowly walked up to it, trying to decide whether to devour this corpse or not. 

"Lilliko?" came a pained, quivering voice. Unit 19 screamed and took to the air.

Ariline watched as a dragon launched up from the streets of Tokyo 4 and stopped Unit 16. "What…"

"The Fifth, Tenth, and Thirteenth are dead." Samantha told her. "This is it. It's just us three now. It's time for us to attack."

"Tomorrow." Dai-syo said quietly. Samantha turned to look at him curiously. "Tomorrow is the day. We want to all be at full strength."

"But even if we are at full strength, are you sure we can win?" asked Ariline. "All the others have been killed, even when in groups."

"But we are the strongest." Samantha told her. Then her eyes narrowed. "But when did you include yourself in the group attacking Tokyo 4?"

"I don't want you to kill Adam, but I don't want you killed either. I'm going in just to protect you, alright?" Ariline asked. "You're my friends, and I'd hate myself if I let you end up like the rest of Lillith's Chosen."

AN: It's almost time. I might not even make it to chapter 50. But don't worry, there's still plenty of story left, because the big fight starts next time. And I mean BIG fight.

Layra-chan: *interrupting* Tell them about Mercenaries.

DreyonLegacy: Do you think I should?

Layra-chan: of course! It's so cute!

DreyonLegacy: Cute?

Layra-chan: Yes! They absolutely hate each other, and then they end up getting—

DreyonLegacy: don't tell the entire story, alright?

Check out my original fic, Mercenaries of Carraelia. It's a mix of sci-fi and fantasy. The first chapter is full of typos because I wrote it when I was still sane—I mean fourteen. 

Preview: "I'm sorry I grabbed you. I had no other choice if I wanted to remain inconspicuous." She paused, turning to him. 

"I hate you." she told him. "I know exactly why you took me." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "You just want a girl that you can use for a while, then dump off when you lose interest. All you mercenaries are alike." He sighed. 

           "I'm losing interest already." He muttered, hoping that she couldn't hear.


	47. Convergence part 1

All right! She's asleep! Maybe now I can produce something mildly sane. Oh, wait, I promised a big fight. I should probably wake her up. 

DreyonLegacy: Layra-chan? Wake up.

Layra-chan: But the sugar intake of blue pen ink is hyperbolically proportional to the number of ticket stubs underneath the seats. 

DreyonLegacy: ? 

Layra-chan: I'm asleep. Don't bother me.

DreyonLegacy: well, then I guess I'll have to eat all the chocolate myself…

Layra-chan: No! I'm awake! I'm awake!

DreyonLegacy: Good. Now you can help me write this chapter. 

Layra-chan: Back to bed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion. I do not own the SSDF. I do not own the UN, or Japan, or any of the places mentioned in this fic, with the possible exception of Tokyo 4. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 47: Convergence, part 1

He woke to a steady beeping noise. His eyes opened and he looked up at the ceiling, then at the woman sitting beside him. "Where…"

Rei sighed, shaking her head. "She disappeared. We lost track of her a few hours ago."

Takoru looked away. "How's Adamu? And Misa-chan?"

"Misa is still unconscious. Adamu…He's recovering. He's still getting adjusted to his new arm."

Takoru looked up. "New arm?" Rei nodded.

"He lost his left arm during the last battle, and stole a new one from his opponent." Takoru grimaced, not wanting to think about arms, and the mangling of them. The fact that he couldn't feel his own, even though he could feel the pain from the cuts on his face, was a bad sign. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't feel his legs either, or any of his lower body…

"Where are they?" 

"In Adam's holding chamber. He refused to leave her side since the battle." Takoru winced. He had failed. Tears welled up as he remembered everything he could have done, should have done. "What's wrong?"

"Adamu was right. I should have proposed." Takoru forced out. "I was going to after the battle; I thought it would be an easy one. Why do I have to be so stupid!"

"There is nothing you could have done." Rei told him. But he didn't listen to her, only struggled against tears. She slowly got up and went to the door. A doctor looked questioningly at her. "Get him a phone. Find his family and call them." She commanded. The young doctor nodded and went searching for the information.

She waited until she was in her husband's arms before breaking down and weeping.

"We cannot let this continue!" shouted a tall, red-faced woman. "Tokyo 4 and NERV have defied our orders ever since it was founded." She looked about the crowd. "We've all seen the footage that Deransh sent us. NERV has been keeping secrets from us, of powerful biological and biomechanical weapons." Images of the rogue Evas, as well as the transformed Unit 19, appeared on the screen behind her. The gathered UN representatives nodded. 

Deransh had managed to install hidden cameras all around Tokyo 4 prior to his capture. He had also hacked the database, using his power as an ambassador from the UN to get past security. Everything had been going as planned until his arrest. 

"Furthermore, we have evidence that NERV has been dealing with the Angels!" a picture of Adamu with his shirt off appeared, his core carelessly displayed. Another picture of Lilliko with her AT field manifested was shown later. To push the issue, she even included a picture of Unit 16 tearing through the city.

"Fellow UN Delegates, you all have seen the evidence laid before you. NERV is no longer working for us, or for mankind, but against it. We must attack and destroy NERV before they can set off another Impact." 

She stepped down from the podium as the chamber burst into applause. Quickly exiting the room and into an empty hallway, she closed her eyes as her form began to grow transparent. _It is getting harder to escape my host._ She fumed silently. _My projection is already dissolving with each death of my Chosen. The loss of communication with them has severely limited my options. This will have to be my last manifestation. Fortunately, my children are too caught up in their own scheming to notice._ Lillith let her form fade away. 

Misa kept her eyes closed, not wanting to face the boy beside her. How could she have forgotten so easily? How could she have been manipulated so simply, to the point where she was ready to kill the boy she loved? And why had it felt so right at the time, to put her hands around his throat and squeeze, her fingers clenching like they did when she was mad? 

She didn't want to return. The world was so painful, perhaps if she locked herself away it would be all right. _If my conscience tries to hurt me now she'll have a lot more to work with._ She though bitterly. 

"I also do redemptions, remember?" asked the six-year-old girl. "I can make you feel better."

She turned away from the girl, only to find herself looking at Adam, who still shimmered with power. 

"You should listen to her." Adam said in her quiet, commanding voice. "Though I have yet to comprehend the chaos that is a lillim mind, I know that the subconscious usually has the answers."

"Quiet." Misa snapped. "I don't want your advice. I want to stop hurting people."

"Then open your eyes." Her conscience begged. "He is weeping for you. You can hear it. He needs you to wake up." 

"No. NO!" Misa shouted, stepping away from both of them. 

"Misato-chan…" She spun to see a woman with a striking resemblance to her mother. She knew this woman from somewhere, had met her before. 

"Grandmother…" She waited passively as Kyoko wrapped her arms about her, pulling her into a loving embrace. "Please…"

"Don't be foolish, Misato-chan." Kyoko told her. "Listen to your heart, and your conscience. He loves you, and knows that you would never hurt him on purpose. Don't be like your parents, or like me."

"But in the dream…" she protested. "I was manipulated so incredibly easily." 

Flashbacks of her hands around Adamu's throat filled her senses. But Kyoko simply held the girl and stroked her hair, refusing to abandon her.

"That wasn't your fault, and would never happen in real life. Lillith's Chosen manipulated you. But you are in control now. And you will never hurt him. You only cause him pain when you hold yourself away from him. Go to him."

"Go to him." Repeated Chibi-Misa.

"Go to him." Repeated Adam. 

"I—" she looked at the three females, then sighed and nodded. "Yes. I won't cause him any more pain."

She opened her eyes. Immediately he spun and pulled her into his arms, holding her at arm's length. "Are you feeling better?" he asked. 

"You knew that I was awake." She accused. He nodded. "But you didn't try to wake me up."

"You were upset. I didn't want to disturb your thoughts." He told her. Impulsively she leaned forward and locked her lips to his, wrapping her arms about him.

Inside a pocket of her subconscious, Misa's conscious, maternal grandmother, and resident symbiote watched. 

Kyoko smiled. "I never would have expected to see my granddaughter and your grandson together." She remarked to Adam. Adam smiled, a smile that looks awfully like the one that Kaoru often wore. "I guess I'd better go, though. This body is coming apart from the strain of having three souls within it. Take me back to Heaven, Adam."

"Bye, grandmother!" Chibi-Misa shouted as Kyoko faded away.

Misa and Adamu pulled apart to stare at each other for a long moment. "Adamu-chan, your arm…"

"I stole it from one of Lillith's Chosen when he tore my old one off." He explained. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt." He touched his hand to her face to demonstrate. She leaned forward into him again.

"Hey, Adamu I—" Misato stopped, staring at the two. She coughed, and they broke apart. "I hate to break up the moment, but we've got a situation." 

The two Children got up and followed her to the bridge. Looking around at the damage, Misa stiffened. 

Misato called everyone to order. "We have a situation here, a bad one. Unit 16 is parked just outside Tokyo 4, and there are reports of three humans with it. Two of them are openly manifesting AT fields." Several people gasped. "Unfortunately for us, we're down two pilots. Lilliko-chan," her voice choked, "has fled, and has most likely merged with her Eva. Takoru-chan is incapacitated. That means that at the moment we have no working Evas." She turned to Adamu before he could object. "With your new arm, and your extensive contact with Lillith and Adam during their fight, you have been deemed contaminated to an extreme. The only reason we let you out of quarantine is because your parents vouch for the strength of your AT field." Adamu nodded. 

Misato sighed. "Furthermore, the UN has decided that we've kept Deransh here too long, despite our explanations. They have also grown fearful of us, _again, _and are sending the SSDF against us. The SSDF will arrive tomorrow."

She looked everyone in the eye, catching the gaze of those who had survived the attack seventeen years earlier. "Dr. Akagi will give us a report on the damage to the computer systems."

Ritsuko stepped forward, a clipboard in hand. "The main sensor and analysis systems are down, and the Magi have locked themselves away. The security system is offline, and we are locked out of the main power grid because of the damage to the computers. The hospital and launch facilities are still functional, as are the Bakelite pipes. We're running on emergency power right now, as one of Lillith's Chosen disabled the power system." 

"So, we're trapped between a demon and an army with no lights and no weapons, and no one with any clue what's happening." Adamu summarized. "And we have one day to stop the end of the world." 

"Let's get started."

Takoru looked up as Ritsuko entered the hospital room. "Takoru, we have a proposal for you." she told him. "It is more of a demand, but you can refuse, though you most likely won't." 

He nodded at her to continue. "Currently, your neck is largely broken and your spine is deformed. We can fix that overnight, but…"

"What's the catch?" he asked. "What will I have to sacrifice?"

"Your humanity." She replied. His eyes widened. She nodded. _I can't believe I'm offering him this. The procedure, still experimental, will take away his humanity and possibly thrust him into the same situation that his girlfriend is in. But do I have a choice?_ "You have the opportunity to have an super solenoid engine installed in you, which would heal all of your wounds within hours. But you may go berserk in the process."

He looked up at the ceiling, wondering where his Lilliko was, what she was doing. If he ended with the same fate as she, to protect this small city… "Do it."

Dai-syo looked up at all of the sticks that Samantha poked into the ground around the fire, twelve in all. He watched as she took another stick, thrust its tip into the fire, and used it to light the other sticks. "What are you doing?"

"Commemorating the fallen." She replied. "The First, Jennifer Smith. The Third, Searai Ilana. The Fourth, Koto d'Rembre. The Fifth, Raiterasho Inoto. The Sixth, Karles Sudermann. The Seventh, Esserach Talkenoh. The Eighth, Ilissalra Caesar. The Ninth, Ralkonik Veriankovski. The Tenth, Kiran Sacks. The Eleventh, Tenyana Selvanski. Te Twelfth, Eletha Siras. And the Thirteen, Juan del Roges."

"So, you are the Fifteenth?" he asked. She nodded.

"Fifteenth and Last. When I die, or fail, this will all be over, no matter if you survive or not. I am the Last, and my actions determine the fate of the world. As it has always been." She shook off the serious mood and watched at the burning pieces of wood. 

Samantha looked back at Dai-syo. "Perhaps I should light some for us." She asked. He shook his head. She placed two sticks in the ground with the others anyway.

"What about Ariline?" Dai-syo asked. 

They both went silent for a moment. They could hear the girl in question crooning softly to Unit 16, whispering hopes and reassurances to the great beast. 

"She's not really one of us." Samantha told him, for once without spite or hatred in her voice. "She cares more about her Eva than she does about us, than she will about any human. I hope that you realize this. We can't depend on her fully." 

"She does not care more about her Eva than humans." He retorted. Samantha simply gave him a sad smile.

"She's in love with the damn thing." She replied, but put a third stick in with the others. "She's in love with it, and blind to your affections. She doesn't see how hard you have been trying to tell her how you feel." _How ironic that _I_ am saying these words to _him. "She sees you, and will always see you, as just a friend."

He turned and left. She sighed. "To the apocalypse of love." She said, raising the stick she had lit the others with. She brought it down and lit two of the three new sticks. "The Second, Dai-syo Kai. The Fourteenth, Ariline Jiray." She watched the two burn for a bit before lighting the last. "The Fifteenth, Samantha Azrael."

AN: Sorry, I lied. No big fight in this chapter. Don't worry, the big fight starts in the next chapter: Convergence, past 2.

Layra-chan: You mean you woke me up for nothing? You idiot! *Gets out 2-by-4*

Whack! Whack, whack, whack! Whackwhackwhackwhackwhack…thud. 

DreyonLegacy: ow


	48. Convergence part 2

DreyonLegacy _et al_ is proud to present: The Author's Pre-Chapter Ramble! 

Today's topic is: um…uh…never mind. No topic. If it had a topic it wouldn't be rambling. 

Anyway, I'm getting an ominous feeling that something bad is going to happen to Lilliko. Not bad like the situation she's in, but one that will possibly destroy her, and Takoru's, chances at happiness. 

Layra-chan: wait a minute, _et al_? You listed me as a simple 'other?' How could you…

DreyonLegacy: um, that's it for the pre-chapter ramble. Tune in next time…once I recover from my injuries…

Disclaimer: DreyonLegacy _et al_ is not so proud to present: the Long List of Things that I do not own: 1): My soul. 2): My house…34,536): Neon Genesis Evangelion. 34,537): the UN. 34,538): The SSDF. 34,539) The letter A…

Fourth Impact

Chapter 48: Convergence, part 2          

Ariline came upon the burning sticks after Dai-syo and Samantha had gone to sleep. She watched them for a long while, contemplating what they had said over the months that she'd known them. Tomorrow, everything would change. Either they would emerge victorious, and mankind's evolution would be upon them, changing their bodies and maybe even their minds, or they would fail, and die. Ariline wasn't too comfortable with either outcome. 

If they won, Unit 16 would die. Ariline felt her heart wrench at the thought. Her truest friend, her most loyal companion, would die if they succeeded. 

If they lost, Ariline and Unit 16 had a good chance at escaping, but then her other two friends would die. Her only other friends. No matter what happened, she was going to lose someone. 

She thought over what Samantha had said the night before, about Dai-syo and her. Dai-syo was rather blind. So was she. Only Samantha, who had grown up on bad soap operas and cheesy romances, had any real clue what was going on. She was the most knowledgeable in more ways than one. She was the most equipped to live independently, the most informed of the Chosen, she had met all of them, and she even knew who her parents were. That was something Ariline was sure few of the Chosen could boast about. She didn't know, Dai-syo didn't know, and Samantha had told them that at least three others were clueless. 

Perhaps she had lied to Samantha. She was pretty good-looking…Ariline shook her head with a smile. Nerves. That's all it was. Given the import of the situation, even Dai-syo was beginning to look attractive to her. Not that he wasn't handsome, but she'd never…

And then there was Unit 16. Ariline giggled at the thought of her Eva as a human. The poor thing, she'd probably die of mortification at being found in such a frail body. 

Die. Ariline instantly regretted her last thought. Death was not something she wanted to think about. 

She finally took one last stick and placed it a bit away from the others, near the one she believed was hers. Then, taking her stick, she lit the new one. "Unit 16."

"We'll need several things for this." Ritsuko told the gathered spectators. "LCL, which we have. Lengthy DNA samples, which we have. The submerging tubes, check, the injections system, check, the hormone culture, check. What we need is someone with an active super solenoid of the correct type." She said. "Specifically, we need a half-Angel." Eyes turned to Adamu and Misa. 

"That would be…" asked Adamu, his arm tightening around his fiancée. 

"We need a sample of Misa-chan's core." Ritsuko announced. She and Maya pushed everyone but Misa and Adamu from the room. "Misa-chan," Ritsuko ordered, "Get on the table next to Takoru-chan." She did so, and yelped as Ritsuko pulled up her shirt to reveal her core. The doctor only rolled her eyes and went to grab her coffee while Misa shyly held her arms over her attributes. The redhead noticed her fiancé watching her with amusement and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Now, Adamu, you get the job of actually placing the equipment on her, while Maya and I get Takoru ready. Be careful with the syringe. The one that goes in her spine needs to be placed very carefully." 

Calmly, Adamu slid up behind his girlfriend and slowly inserted a needle into her spine. She gasped at the sensation of the cold metal sliding into her back, but said nothing. She was almost used to it from wearing the necklace constantly. Then he took the other mechanism and reached around her, trying to find her core. His hand landed on something warm and soft. 

"That's not my core, you pervert." She hissed. He smiled and gave it a quick squeeze before clamping the mechanism's head to her core. He waited for the slap, but it never came. Instead, her entire body stiffened, and he slowly withdrew his hands, worried. He got off the table and walked around so he could see her face. She locked oddly stunned, her eyes open wide and her body unmoving. Her core began to pulse brightly. 

"Super solenoid tissue extraction initializing." Maya reported. He continued to watch Misa's face throughout the operation, his eyes never leaving her stunned face. 

Unit 19 tore through the forest, wandering aimlessly for something to destroy. Then, it heard a voice in its head. _He left me. I'm alone, all alone. Everybody leaves me._ Confused, it listened to the voice moan and cry. Pain and longing flooded in with the voice, causing Unit 19 to look around for the source, hoping to stem the emotions. _Alone. I'm all alone again. I have no one at all. He left me, she left me, they all leave me. Why? Why does everyone abandon me? Why do all the people that I love leave me? Why?_

_Then why are you still to them?_ Asked Unit 19. The answer seemed simple enough to the Eva. 

I hate them! They left me, and I hate them! They betrayed me! They took my heart and shattered it, and they must pay!

_Then why not take revenge?_ Asked Unit 19, confused. The voice drew back in realization, and another awareness flooded Unit 19's conscious. _Yes. I will take revenge on all of them. I will annihilate them, starting with the city that took them from me!_

Lilliko spread her wings and took to the air, heading back toward Tokyo 4. _They shall die, all of them!_

Adamu helped Misa off the table and retrieved her shirt before Takoru could revive. She was shaken, he could tell, and was very weak. She leaned against him as they walked through the corridors toward the cafeteria. "Where are we going?" she asked. 

"You need to eat." He told her. "The super solenoid needs material from which to rebuild itself." She let him lead her around, and watched passively as he shoved food at her. "Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded, and took the food gratefully, a smile shyly appearing on her face. 

"I'm just a bit shaken. Takoru took a lot of my S2. My core, however, is intact, they didn't take any of that, and Adam agreed to remain solely within my body." He pretended to understand what she meant. "I just need to eat." She dug in with gusto, and soon the small mountain of rice and meat and greens was gone, and she was looking for more. 

Then the alarm rang. 

"All combatants to stations. They're here!" Suddenly Misa was gone, Adam shining in her place. The food disappeared, absorbed directly into the Angel's AT field, and soon the table and the chairs went with it. Then Adam turned to the sky, and shot out of the building through the roof, landing at the front of NERV with all weapons ready. 

The commander looked out at the city he had been watching for nearly seventeen years. He had been waiting for this day since he was first assigned. The city had always seemed to hold a dread aura around it, an ominous feeling that eventually, whoever ran NERV would achieve his goals, despite all the strange attacks upon the city. 

And who was he to tell that he had let the attackers through, in hopes of letting them destroy NERV instead? He had been part of the attack force that infiltrated NERV seventeen years before, and the things he had seen told him to let someone else handle the organization. Yet here he was, attacking once again.

"Troops, move out." Tanks began to rumble down the broken roads leading to Tokyo 4. Overhead, planes moved in as trucks made their way to the city. 

The troops slipped into the city, guns at ready, preparing to infiltrate the fortress known as NERV. Tanks followed, looking around cautiously for targets. 

A line of soldiers fell as the sound of sniper rifles filled the otherwise silent air. A tank exploded as a special round tore through its hull and into its fuel. The remaining troops pulled back for a moment, shields at ready, forming into groups to protect each other.

Suddenly, an Eva catapult opened. But instead of an Eva flying out, a hundred anti-personnel grenades were flung high into the air, spraying bullets down on the troops. These were followed by a bombardment of anti-tank and shrapnel grenades, then a volley of rockets. 

The battle had begun. 

Ariline ducked into Unit 16 as the city began to light with explosions. Dai-syo and Samantha jumped onto Unit 16 and they sped toward the city, Unit 16 letting off a huge beam to herald its coming. The beam tore into the outermost buildings and blew them apart, killing countless soldiers. Then the tanks and planes began to attack Unit 16. Dai-syo and Samantha slipped into the city, and soon the place was shining with AT fields, Dai-syo's blades chopping up troops and city alike. 

Samantha's AT manifestation was both subtler and more ostentatious. Billions of orange dots, each no bigger than a thimble, flew about at lightning speeds, tearing through flesh and slicing apart building foundations. A stream of dots ate through a column of soldiers, piercing armor and going straight for the heart. Another group of dots gathered into a solid fist-sized ball and smashed through a tank, crashing about the insides and crushing both the pilots and the equipment. The tank exploded, and the dots flew away to do more damage.

Samantha herself was surrounded by a whirlwind of dots, slicing through any foes who came at her. She forced her way deeper and deeper into the city, efficiently and mercilessly killing anyone and anything that got in her way. 

Unit 16 was also busy tearing through the SSDF ranks, though it concentrated on the vehicles. Beam after beam of light erupted from its eye, blasting through whole divisions in single shots. The UN, however, had poured in a massive amount of resources into the attack, and wave after wave of planes came at the Eva, forcing it slowly away from the city. 

Takoru looked down at his new limbs and at his new core. They all looked well enough, but his chest still felt funny from having his heart removed and replaced with a red sphere. 

He grinned almost to himself. "Wonder what the guys on the soccer team would think of me now. Suzuhara Takoru, Angel."

He shook off the feeling as the order to launch Unit 20 arrived, and the g-forces pushed him back into the seat. Unit 20 shot out of the catapult and into the air, armed with a pallet gun and a progressive sword. It fired off shot after shot into the tanks while slicing through the planes. An N2 mine smashed into its chest and the Eva was thrown back, but Takoru continued to fire as the core in his chest throbbed to the beat of the battle. 

Down in the Geofront itself, an AT field burst out, tearing through the foot soldiers. Adamu didn't even bother with weaponry, blasting out fire bolts with his stolen arm and knocking both people and tanks aside with his AT field. 

Near him floated Adam, her power radiating from her body. Beams of light, similar to Ramiel's, shot from her body, along with acid sprays, jagged spikes and crushing tentacles. The body itself dangled limply as Adam's AT field twisted and jerked about. Round after round of shots filled the huge chamber of the Geofront, missiles and bombs launching at the two Children, but nothing got through. 

In the air, Rei and Kaoru both fought with a gun in one hand and a blade in the other, swooping across the field. Rei concentrated on disabling the tanks that had gotten into the Geofront, while Kaoru sliced through planes and shot down soldiers with abandon. Adamu quickly joined them, raining fire and force waves upon the soldiers. 

Up on the surface, a building exploded as Samantha tore through the fuel tanks. The explosion set off a chain reaction which caught both soldiers and planes in the blast. Unit 16 used the opportunity to push into the city, the long blades lining its sides tearing through more buildings. 

A city block collapsed, Dai-syo's blades ripping through the foundations of dozens of buildings with ease. A set of three tanks fired volley after thermonuclear volley at him, but the missiles were only chopped apart mid-flight. 

From hidden niches amidst the rubbles NERV snipers disabled tanks and planes. Soldiers, catching on to the snipers, split into groups to take out the annoying security officers. Takoru slashed open a plane only to have a cache of bombs dropped on him, but it didn't matter; his AT field blocked them and the explosions tore through more planes.

"Sir, we've got a bogey in the air, and it's huge!" A line of planes detached from the assault and turned to face the tremendous blue dragon hovering above them. A volley of missiles were launched at the beast, but the glowing orange light of Lilliko's AT field blocked them, detonating them in mid-air. The beast ignored them even as they moved towards heavier and heavier fire. 

Takoru spared a glance at Unit 19, his eyes growing moist. Yet he tore himself away from the sight, knowing that they would have to drive out the UN forces before they could do anything about her. 

Lilliko looked down at the dance of light and fire beneath her, listening to the screams, inhaling the scent of blood and smoke. Her enemies, the ones that tore so much out of her heart, were below her, out of view and out of range. She needed to make a path to them. 

She plummeted, folding her wings and tucking her head in preparation for contact with the ground. Planes shot at her, tanks and soldiers joining in, and then…

She hit.


	49. Detonations

Disclaimer: I can't think of a funny way to say that I do not own Evangelion. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 49: Detonations

She plummeted, folding her wings and tucking her head in preparation for contact with the ground. Planes shot at her, tanks and soldiers joining in, and then…

She hit.

The ground exploded beneath her, chunks of the street showering downward beside her as she fell into the Geofront. Screams filled her ears as the ground forces fell into the rapidly expanding hole she created. Then she spotted her enemies, a pair of bright AT fields in the midst of battle. She swooped down and smashed a small group of soldiers with a huge fist, then turned to her enemies. A blast of crimson thorns flew from her mouth, tearing through the soldiers and tanks, then through planes and buildings as her head swerved. And then it appeared. Her other nemesis. 

Takoru stared at the monster that his girlfriend had become, his hand shaking as he leveled the grenade launcher at her. 

He didn't have to fire, though, as Unit 16 came crashing down into the Geofront, righting itself and immediately charging Lilliko. Lilliko reared back and slashed at Unit 16, but Unit 16 pulled away and fired a tight beam at Unit 19's exposed core. With a single slash of her claws Lilliko tore the beam to shreds and leapt forward, grabbing Unit 16 and lifting it into the air. Unit 16 struggled, its blades digging into Lilliko's belly, its claws smashing at Lilliko's hide. Then Lilliko dropped her prey and Unit 16 went crashing toward the ground. Only a hastily spread AT field stopped it from slamming headfirst into the ground. Unit 16 fired another beam at Lilliko, then another, both missing. 

Ariline lined up another shot, desperately hoping that the dragon would stay still. She had no idea of who had been in the Eva at the time of its mutation, but she wanted to kill it quickly. 

"Stay still," She whispered, "so that I can end your pain. Please, stay still." 

Suddenly Lilliko opened her mouth, and a stream of crimson thorns flew out at Unit 16. Ariline flung up Unit 16's AT field, but the thorns, made from the Splinters of the Lance of Loginus, pierced it easily and dug into Unit 16's body. Ariline screamed as her Eva roared and thrashed in pain. 

Then the rage came. Fear and pain pushed aside as hatred boiled up in Ariline's fragile soul. That beast had hurt Unit 16, and the damage was most likely irreparable. The beast would pay for that. An orange sash the color of LCL formed out of the liquid surrounding her and settled about her body, across her chest, over her shoulder and down her back to tie off at her waist. The sash pulsed, as did the entire Eva.

"You're going to die!" Ariline shouted as her body burst into orange light. 

Outside, Samantha watched as Unit 16's head shot up and a glowing ball appeared at the tip of its eye. "14th Chosen AT Beam Fountain Apocalypse!" screamed a deathly, roaring voice from Unit 16, and the ball burst, turning into a huge column of orange light burning its way into the clouds. Samantha stared in horror, not at the beam itself, but at the absolute children's-television-show cheesiness of the move. 

Then her horror became real as the fountain of light began to curve outward, splitting into a corona of light, then into individual beams each dozens of meters thick…

Then fell.

Like rays of heavenly light the beams crashed down to Earth, tearing through buildings, through tank and planes and soldiers, through the streets and into the Geofront. The lakes boiled and evaporated, the ground exploded with craters, and the vegetation was all burned to a crisp. Up above all the buildings around were shredded by light as beams continued to sprout from the main column and fall. The sound of explosions filled the air, and light blinded everyone. Those who could flung up AT fields and held out with all of their strength. Those in the SSDF were not so lucky, and died by the hundreds at each beam hit. 

NERV headquarters went up in smoke and fire, and even the mountains rumbled and shook. 

Still the beam poured out from Unit 16's eye, the orange turning blood red and the fountain growing wider. Soon Tokyo 4 was in ruins, all the buildings torn apart and burning, the streets ripped and full of holes. All the grass and vegetation in the Geofront was dead, as were almost all of the SSDF soldiers. The NERV personnel still alive huddled beneath Unit 20's AT field, and Lilliko had taken to the air, dodging the beams with ease. 

Then, Lilliko let out another stream of thorns at the base of the beam, the thorns piercing the beam right above Unit 16's eye. The beam was suddenly shredded and ceased to pour out. Instantly the sky was clear and the deadly rays stopped falling. Unit 16 fell back down, exhausted. Lilliko let out a roar of triumph as it descended toward Unit 16's fallen body. 

That's when Takoru forced Unit 20 to its feet. He got Lilliko's attention, smashing a fist into Lilliko's head, then ran off, Lilliko following him and firing thorns wildly. 

Meanwhile, Dai-syo and Samantha were dusting themselves off when Adam and Adamu caught up to them. Immediately they attacked, trying to kill Adam before they themselves were killed. Samantha noted that Dai-syo wasn't fighting full strength, and that he kept glancing over at Unit 16. She could see Ariline, who had gotten out of the plug and was sitting on Unit 16's head right above its eye ridge. 

"Concentrate!" she shouted at Dai-syo, before dodging a blast by Adam. She had them all surrounded by her dots, but Adam's AT field was too strong for her. 

She was suddenly hit from behind by Adamu, and fell forward, sending a stream of dots out behind her. She could hear him curse in pain and smirked, bouncing to her feet again. 

"Our forces have been completely wiped out. Requesting permission to move on to next stage of attack, sir." 

"Permission granted. Fire at will." 

Takoru suddenly looked up. "Everybody down!" he screamed, running back toward NERV headquarters. Lilliko looked up and stared as the missiles descended toward them. 

Samantha and Dai-syo retreated to Unit 16, the three of them firing up their AT fields and preparing for the blast. 

"I will protect you." proclaimed a booming voice coming from Misa's limp body. Lilliko shot skyward as Adam's AT field expanded to fill the entire Geofront. Unit 16 roared in glee as its mother's AT field enveloped it. Ariline too had a look of wonderment upon her face, Unit 16's ecstasy flowing through to her. Dai-syo and Samantha were not as happy to be held within their nemesis's soul. Samantha, in fact, was terrified. 

"NO!" she screamed. "NO! Don't take me!" she curled up into a ball, her AT field building in power. "I want my soul…don't take my soul from me…" Dai-syo knelt next to her, wrapping the girl in his arms without thinking and wondered if they ever had any chance at all to survive. 

The first of the missiles hit, sending shockwaves throughout the entire city and surrounding countryside. Everything within Adam's AT field was unaffected for the most part. Lilliko, however, was flung to one side by the blast. 

Unit 20 pounded on the inner wall of Adam's AT field, demanding to be let out. "Please, I need to save her!" Adam floated up to look Unit 20 in the eyes, before nodding. An Eva-sized hole appeared in the AT field and Unit 20 stumbled through just as the hole snapped shut again. He ran towards Lilliko, who was falling out of her control. 

She slammed into him and they skidded back several hundred meters before Takoru managed to lock his feet into the ground. Her tail lashed him in the face, forcing him to drop her, and she bounded off, her mouth open and the thorns budding faster than ever. She let them loose. 

The stream of blood-red thorns flew out straight and true, piercing the incoming missiles with ease. The combined explosions were enough to set off the missiles above them, sending a chain reaction high into the sky. 

Lilliko was flung back yet again, but Takoru somehow caught up with her, extending his AT field to protect her. Their fields merged, and for the first time since she had disappeared, Takoru felt whole again. He could feel Lilliko's mind and soul beside him. 

Then, just as suddenly as they had started, the explosions stopped. He looked upwards to find the blinding flashed gone. The clouds had all been vaporized for kilometers all around, and he could see clearly all the way into space. 

Then Lilliko stirred. He spun to face her. She growled at him, stepping forward very slowly. His impulses screamed at him, telling him to confront her. So he did, sliding the entry plug out until he could open the door and climb up his Eva. He came to stand on Unit 20's head just as she came up to him, hissing. 

"Lilliko…" he whispered. Their AT fields were still mixing, still sending emotional information across to each other. Loneliness, betrayal, pain, boundless sadness emanated from her in palpable waves. Finally getting a good look at what his girlfriend had become, he tried to send his own feelings through the bond. His fear of losing her, his pain of not knowing where she was, the cold, lonely night when he finally realized truly how much she meant to him. He sorted through his emotions and thoughts, letting her see them all, until he came upon what he wanted to say. "I missed you…" 

Lilliko screamed, her eyes flashing red, the blue scales shimmering with inner light. Her AT field jerked and twisted, then pulled away from his own. The sensation as the bond shattered was one of unbearable cold. Lilliko took one final, longing-filled glance at him, and collapsed. 

"Sir, our missile supply is out! Something set off all of the missiles we have!" shouted the launch technician. 

"What?" demanded the general, glaring at the technician. "How did this happen?" 

Reports filed in quickly. Something had detonated or disabled all of the UN's N2 equipped missiles. 

No one noticed Kaoru and Rei slipping back into the Geofront. Nor did anyone notice the translucent whiteness following them, or the other ghostly figures. The four figures faded in and out of sight, clinging to Kaoru's form and flowing in and out of one another. A blue form, a blood-red one and two white shadows intermixed as they followed Kaoru and Rei into the Geofront. 

"Thanks, Fifth, Eleventh, Thirteenth, Sixteenth." Kaoru grinned to his siblings. 

Samantha wasted no time after Adam's AT field went down. Rage filled her and her dots swarmed up at Adam. "You will not have my soul!" She screamed, flinging her dots at Adam. Adam calmly deflected each blast and blow, staring at her. Dai-syo joined in with his blades, but not nearly as enthusiastically. Adam had just saved them from destruction. Should he really fight her? Did he want to fight her?

Samantha believed that Adam would steal her soul. Yet, Adam was nothing more than a soul currently, clinging to existence within the soul of the body before them. And Samantha had the power of the AT field, and no matter how strong Adam's own AT field was, surely nothing could steal a soul through an active AT field, right?

Lillith, perhaps, believed otherwise. Her voice rang in his memory. Do this, do that, kill this man, frighten this woman, what was Lillith's real goal? The destruction of Adam, surely, if Adam could have this much power even when nothing more than a disembodied soul, why couldn't Lillith do something herself? Was she trying to do something else? 

And then came her treatment of her Chosen. All he had gained from Lillith was a chronic headache, more bad luck than good, and a blade that he could control with his mind. The immediate rewards did not outweigh the pain and fear he had lived through, the ever-constant loneliness and hatred. 

Would Adam's death change that? It would kill all of the Adam based Evas, that was true, but what of him, what of the humans? Would Adam's death solve humanity's problems? Adam had no hold on humanity. Only Lillith had power over her children…

His thoughts were interrupted by Samantha's scream. She flew past him, burned all over, and landed in a crumpled heap several meters behind. He immediately spun around and shot his AT field up to protect her. 

"STOP!" 


	50. Truths

This little piece of paper says that I have DAD, with a bit of dyslexi-ooh! Butterfly!

Disclaimer: Because I'm feeling generous, I'm going to make an extra long disclaimer today! All because you people insist on me putting one in, I'm going to torture you with an endless string of legal clauses until you all go insane! Mwahahahaha! 

Just kidding. I don't own Eva.

Fourth Impact

Chapter 50: Truths (Finally!)

"Oh, great, I'm here again." Misa muttered as the Angels peered at her. "Look, will you go away? I've died so many times that I think I can handle myself." 

"You are not dead." Kyoko told her, pushing past Ramiel and Gaghiel. "Adam has taken over your body."

"Again." Misa added. "I want to stay inside my own body! Is that too much to ask for?" 

Several Angels started laughing. She glared at them, understanding where Tabris got his personality from. "Stop laughing at me!"

"Mortals. So attached to the physical body…" Arael shook her head. "You put so much emphasis on your corporeal self. How quaint."

"Well, for some of us that's all we have!" Misa flared. "Not all of us are made of solidified light!" 

"There is always more." Ramiel said quietly. "You have no idea how much more you have." 

"Then show me, if you're all so wise." Misa demanded. "I want to know what makes it all right that I keep dying and getting sent to all sorts of heavens and hells and little pockets of my own mind." 

"Then look." A rip appeared in the air before her, opening to reveal a scene beyond imagination. The rip widened, and the greyness that had surrounded her was replaced by the ultimate chaos. "Take a glimpse at Reality."

Before her lay what could only be described as a battlefield, but one so vast that she could not comprehend the struggle at hand. Beings of every type, humans, Angels, animals, even rocks, trees, stars, the air itself, battled in every contest possible, physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and categories that Misa could not even think of naming. And everything was changing, shifting, moving. The ground became the sky, became the sea, became the fighters themselves, became a tongue of flame on the tip of a candle, the void between stars, a musical note, a mathematical equation scribbled in the air of a dusty classroom. Blood flowed from stone bridges to pass between a pair of running giants, sprinting simultaneously toward and away from a pile of burning icebergs. A tree hanging from the sky uprooted itself and fell, melting into a stream of ants, which ran together to cover the land in clouds. 

Yet to call it change was wrong, for everything was occurring at the same time, the uprooting, the ants, and the clouds all happened at once, the running giants reached their destination at the same instant they started, and the shifting terrain was all possibilities at the same time.

Within, beyond, above, around the battle, Misa glimpsed figures hidden from view, who touched each player and moved them about, often interfering with one another. Even those figures were subject to one another, moving each other about with the same ease as they moved the figures on the field. 

Before she could take in any more, she was yanked back into the greyness where the Angels waited. 

"I don't understand. What was that?" she asked, scared stiff. She had seen something that no one was supposed to see, the images burned into her mind. 

"That was Reality, of which all universes are but shadows." Explained Kyoko. "That is the battlefield upon which Adam and Lillith are based, and which they should be on." Misa blinked, uncomprehending. "But they have created a universe of their own to battle in, the one you inhabit. Their confrontations we know as Impacts." 

"Which one is the good one? I mean, at first we were fighting you and Adam, but now Lillith is the one attacking us…" asked Misa. Iruel chuckled softly.

"The sides cannot be categorized by such mortal concepts as 'good' and 'evil.' Even the term 'sides' is inaccurate. The amount of 'sides' in this battle change all the time. Sometimes there are only two, sometimes its everyone for themselves."

"So which side are we on?" asked Misa plaintively. Iruel only smiled. 

"Again, it cannot be classified as such. We are controlled by different players at different times. Such it the way of things." 

Misa shook her head to clear it. "I don't understand, what was happening out there made no sense! It was impossible! You can't plant trees in the sky, or turn ants into clouds…" 

"The rules of physics in your universe are nothing more than just rules, created by the masters of Adam and Lillith to put some meaning to their contest." Iruel told her. "Even matter, energy, time and space are just concepts created to delineate their game." Kyoko nodded. "Furthermore, it appeared that way because you are still alive. Your body prevents you from truly understanding what is happening. It is actually the simplest thing in existence, but your mortality and your presence on the corporeal plane prevents you from seeing it as it should be seen. If you were pure souls on the plane of Reality, then you would understand."

"Is there some way to get Adam and Lillith out of our universe and back into Reality?" Misa asked, seizing a glimmer of hope.

"First, one of them must win, and then an Impact must go to completion." Kyoko explained. "Now go, victory is almost at hand for one of them."

"STOP!" he screamed, flinging himself before Samantha. Adam slowed, her AT field dimming. "Please, don't kill her. I surrender." 

Adam paused. "You surrender? What about Lillith? What about Mankind's evolution?" 

"I don't care." He said bitterly, taking Samantha into his arms. "I never cared, I only wanted to keep my powers. But it isn't worth this girl's life. I like the way I am, and I like the way we are." He watched warily as Adam approached. "I don't care about Mankind's evolution. I just don't want to fight anymore."

She came to standing beside a green-haired girl, who lay unconscious in the arms of an unfamiliar boy. "Who are you?" she asked. 

He blinked. "You should know who I am, Adam." He snarled. "You know everything." 

Misa blinked. After her glimpse of Reality, she was still unable to comprehend anything at all. Her mind was in turmoil, and she could only staring dumbly at the stranger. _Misa. My name is Misa. _ "I'm not Adam. I am Ikari Misato. Adam inhabits my body for now." She told him, as her defense systems slowly awoke. She suddenly jumped back. "You're one of Lillith's Chosen, aren't you!" She screamed, falling back until Adamu caught her. "Don't hurt me!" 

The boy got to his feet, carrying the girl. "Look, I just want to use your hospital. You almost killed her." Misa looked at the girl he carried. She was bleeding badly, her head hanging at a sickening angle to her neck. Burns covered her skin, and she hung limply. 

"Please." Another voice said, and a blond girl stepped forward in a dripping plugsuit. "We surrender. Just let her live." 

"Are you…" she spotted the number 16 in black numerals on the plugsuit. "You're the pilot of Unit 16?" the blonde nodded.

"We don't want to fight you, Adam, Misa, whoever you are." She glanced worriedly at the green-haired girl. "We won't fight anymore if you let us save her."

Misa nodded, still terribly confused. Adamu, however, was more alert.

"How do we know you won't attempt to kill us again? Why should we trust you." 

A sudden clarity shot through Misa. "I know! I can read them." She gestured for the girl to come forward. Looking into the blonde's pitch black eyes, Misa slowly opened her mind. 

Unit 16, I want you to live. I want you to stay with me. I don't want to kill Adam, but I don't want Dai-syo and Samantha to die. And I don't want to be hated anymore…

"She's good. Now, you," she pointed to the boy, who only glared at her. "Come here." 

Ariline gasped as her mind was freed and she stared at Misa in a mix of awe and horror. "You…you were in my head." Misa nodded.

"The eyes are windows to the soul. But not everyone can open the blinds." She stepped up to the boy and locked eyes with him. 

Must save Samantha, at all costs. I must keep both of them alive, even if it means failure. They are all I have…

No! Stay out of my head…I don't want you seeing my past…

She pushed that thought aside and went a bit deeper. I will not be a slave to Lillith. I am my own person.

"He's fine." Misa reported. Dai-syo blinked several times, his eyes wide with surprise. "Come on, let's see if we can get the girl fixed up." He stood staring at her for a long moment. "Come on, you idiot, she's losing blood fast!" She grabbed Dai-syo's arm and dragged him along. 

Samantha woke to find Dai-syo sitting beside her. "So we failed." She said softly. He nodded. She sighed. "So we're dead…"

He blinked in confusion.

A sudden squeal from her other side caught her attention. "You're awake!" Ariline embraced Samantha, kissing her cheek. "We thought we were going to lose you!" 

Samantha looked at her curiously. Lose? But they were dead, right? "What?"

"You're not dead." Kaoru walked in, a smirk on his face. "My daughter-in-law got NERV to take care of you." 

"Why?" asked Samantha, her eyes full of tears. She had failed, they had failed, and they didn't even get the consolation of heaven. They were trapped in a world where Mankind's problems and failures dominated, where true love was next to impossible.

"Because Dai-syo wanted you to live." He answered. "He wanted you to stay with him and Ariline." 

"But heaven awaits…" Samantha protested, and Kaoru's smile turned ironic. Or perhaps it had always been that way.

"Heaven. Such a quaint, mortal term for Reality. If only you knew how lucky you are to not know the truth." He turned to leave. "Enjoy your life here on Earth. It will serve you well."

Samantha began to cry. Everything was going wrong. She had failed. She was still alive. Dai-syo was still in love with Ariline. They were in NERV's clutches. And Adam had won. 

She would be lost to the same fate that had taken her parents. Adam would kill them all and take their souls. "No…"

"What's wrong?" asked Dai-syo, his voice soft and concerned. 

"You don't understand. No one does. Nothing has gone right at all!" 

AN: I don't get it either. My reality doesn't look like that. Now, let's not get in to my personal beliefs. I was just feeling that the story was starting to make too much sense.

As for the rest of the gang, find out what happens next time on Neon Genesis Evangelion, Fourth Impact: Souls of the Evas


	51. Souls of the Evas

Disclaimer: If you cared so much, then you would have noticed by now that I do not own Eva. If you don't care, then why are you wasting your time reading the disclaimer?

Fourth Impact

Chapter 51: Souls of the Evas

She looked down at the tiny figure before her. He hadn't left ever since she had awoken, sitting before her and staring up at her. He barely moved, only shifting every once in a while when she moved her eyes. Beside him sat a giant purple stuffed bear. 

Sometimes he spoke softly, begging her to reply. He always started, "Lilli-chan, my love, are you there?" He always ended, "I will always be here for you." What came in between varied in length, content, and coherence. Often he rambled about past events, romantic moments. Sometimes he would trail off, then pick up on current happenings. Sometimes he would just start listing the things he liked about her. 

She tried to answer, to respond, but she was trapped within the more primordial mind that was her mergence with Unit 19. That mind did not understand him at all, and felt nothing toward him. 

Takoru shifted to get comfortable, his hands on his knees. His neck was starting to hurt, and he was exhausted, but duty to his girlfriend kept him awake. He could hear Ritsuko walking up beside him. The scientist had been doing all kinds of tests on Lilliko, trying to find a way to free the girl. From what she could tell, Lilliko was still inside Unit 19, not turned into particles the way Shinji had been, but physically intact. The problem was her soul, which might have left her body. 

"I have bad news, Takoru." Ritsuko told him 

"There are few times that you have good news, doctor." He replied sullenly. 

"I'm a doctor. People only need to listen to me when things go wrong." She answered, then crouched down next to him. "I'm sorry, Takoru, but she's dying." His eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing. "The Splinters within her are tearing her AT field apart. That body, and soul, will not last." 

He blinked, tears forming. "What?" he asked. "What do you mean, not last? Are you saying…" 

"She's going to die if we don't separate her from Unit 19." Maya appeared and wrapped her arms around the boy, who began weeping. "She has at most a week to live. Then the Splinters will overpower her super solenoid engine and the disintegration process will begin."

Her wife shot her a glare for being so blunt. "Ritsu-chan, why did you have to say it that way?" 

"It needed to be said. He needs to understand the graveness of the situation." 

Takoru shrugged Maya's arms off and looked up at Lilliko, wondering if she understood. 

Ariline wandered into the cages, discreetly surrounded by her 'escorts.' She walked over to Unit 16 and gazed at her, their eyes meeting. Then she heard the conversation between Ritsuko and Takoru. _He's in love with the Eva? He sees it as a person, just like I see mine?_ She shook her head. No, there was someone in Unit 19, while Ariline herself had been the pilot of Unit 16. Unit 16 was nothing more than pure Evangelion. There was no hope to showing that Unit 16 was just as human as everyone else.

She sat down a few meters from Takoru and sighed. Nothing seemed to be going right. The boy was depressed, Samantha was upset, Adam's host was sad, and she…she was starting to wonder if letting Adam live was really the right choice. 

But if Adam died, so would Unit 16, and 19, and all of the Angels, and then many more people would be sad. Was there really a way to win in this situation?

Unit 16 growled softly, breaking her reverie. She stepped up to the edge of the platform so that she could put a hand on Unit 16's eye ridge. Then she vaulted up onto Unit 16's head and walked over to the semi-ejected plug. She settled into Unit 16, encasing herself in Unit 16's encompassing warmth so that she could cry in peace. 

Suddenly a screen appeared before her. "What are you doing?" demanded Misato. "I did not give you clearance to enter your Eva." 

"Please, just let me weep in peace." Ariline pleaded, and Unit 16 snarled. "I don't want to kill Adam or anything. If I did, Unit 16 would die. I just want to stay with her for now." 

A tendril of reassuring warmth flowed out from Unit 16, wrapping around her the way a mother held a scared daughter. 

Misato's expression softened, though she did not leave. "You may stay in there, then. But if you so much as cause Unit 16 to blink, we will have to kill you." Ariline nodded, her tears drying as the LCl warmed. 

She reached out and very gently picked up the purple bear, unable to recall why it was so familiar. But it had good feelings connected to it, and the boy did not object when she took it. She placed looked at it closely, then held it to her chest, not noticing when it sunk it and was absorbed. 

He did though, and stared silently at the spot where the bear had disappeared. 

Her thoughts were broken by a faint cold feeling coming from her talons. She looked down to see a small trickle of orange liquid leaking from between her claws. It was starting. 

Takoru woke to find Lilliko looking down at him regretfully. He rushed to the edge of the balcony and looked around. Then he saw it, the blood running from her claws. "No." he gasped. "No! She said you had a week!" 

She suddenly snapped to attention as she realized what was happening. She was dying, and would be leaving everyone she loved. _I don't want to be alone. _

She screamed. 

Emergency restraints clamped down upon her, but still she screamed in unbearable agony, in physical and emotional anguish. LCL shot from her mouth as her claws began to fall out. Her spines began to sink into her body. 

The first go were her wings, which swelled up then exploded into hundreds of humanoid figures. Then her legs and arms shot into her body and burst into yet more figures. Her tail and head imploded, bunched up, then too exploded into bodies. The dragon form continued to melt into figures even as the screaming faded into echoes.

The figures turned and Takoru finally realized what they were. Each figure was a perfect copy of Lilliko. The copies floated around until they were level with the platform, standing in mid-air. Then, as one, they approached him, emitting blank smiles and childish laughter. There was no warmth in their laughter, no light in their eyes, only soulless giggling.  _Soulless! _

Ritsuko backed away in horror at the sight. It was the dummy plug all over again, all those soulless _Reis_ laughing at her. 

Only this time, there was no switch, no button she could press to make them disappear. 

The grinning Lillikos floated as if swimming in liquid, reaching out toward him. "Alone." Said the one in front, echoed by the one behind it, then another, then another, until every one of the copies was repeating the word 'alone' completely out of unison. He stepped back, holding up his arms to fend them off. That wasn't his girlfriend in front of him, those were nothing but empty shells. 

He came up against the railing on the other side of the platform and watched with fear as the shells approached. The first one reached out to him, her hand millimeters from his face.

"Lilliko," he whispered. Suddenly, each of the shells exploded into LCL, their laughter echoing throughout the cages. And then he could hear the screaming again, a burning shriek that still emanated from where Unit 19 had been. He waded through the huge pool of giggling LCL to the edge of the platform and saw Unit 19's plug hanging in the air. The screams came from within. 

"It's floating in midair!" he gasped. "How is it…how am I supposed to get to it?" 

Then he remembered: Angels can fly. His AT field would allow him to fly. All he needed to do was to gather the courage. 

He found Adamu standing beside him. "Here." Adamu said, giving him the Splinter Sword. "You might need this. And just remember, you are an Angel." Adamu backed away, leaving Takoru standing at the edge. 

Takoru grasped the Sword's handle and looked forth at the plug. "I can do this." He cautiously put one foot down off the platform and willed the air to harden beneath him. Nothing seemed to happen. He looked down at the meters and meters to the ground. He closed his eyes and prayed. _For her. _ And his foot came down upon solid emptiness. 

"I did it." Then he looked up at the plug, remembering why he was trying to float. "Lilliko!" his other foot left the platform and he hovered in the air for a second, then took off, running on nothingness to the plug. He got to the plug's door and pulled at the handle, only to yank his hands off as the red-hot metal burned him. Stiffening his resolve, he tried again, twisting the handle until the door flew open, fumes flying out. The screams grew louder as they poured through the open doorway.

Inside the plug was webs within webs of membranes and flesh, and in the center he could see a light. The smell of blood and tears permeated the plug as he pushed it. 

Then a membrane wrapped around his leg, trying to absorb him. With a yelp he slashed it off, then chopped through another tendril as it tried to get him. Deeper he pushed, slicing his way through the webbing toward the glow that was Lilliko. 

Then he saw her, curled into a fetal ball and screaming. He moved toward her, only to be pulled back by hands. He spun to see yet more copies of Lilliko tugging at him. 

"Alone…" they said softly. "All alone…" with a growl he slashed at them, only to see them regenerate before him. "I am all alone. No one stays with me. Everybody leaves. I am alone…" memories of loss flooded the plug. Images of Yumana's death, the sound of Takoru's voice when he told her he couldn't come, the shock of seeing Unit 20's almost headless body falling to the ground. 

"No." he told them fiercely. "Lilliko is not alone. I am here." He slashed through their arms and dove forward towards the real Lilliko. "Lilli-chan…I am here."  He dropped the sword and took the glowing girl in his arms, steeling himself against the screams. "I am here for you. I will stay with you forever." Memories resurfaced, of the night that he confessed his feelings for her, of the kisses they shared, the joy of waking up to have her in his arms. "I love you." 

Silence. 

The plug exploded, metal and flesh and LCL and shards of the Lance of Loginus bursting outward. Light flowed out as a soul condensed, and the pool of LCL evaporated. 

A cry of joy shot out from the center of the explosion, reverberating about the cages to become a resonating musical note that filled the air with song. 

As the glow dimmed and the song faded, the two of them were revealed. Takoru held Lilliko in his arms, cradling her to his chest. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and was weeping softly into his shoulder, but her tears were warm and full of happiness. 

"I'm here." Takoru told her softly. "I'm here. It's all right." 

She nodded, rubbing her lips against his neck. 

"I am here for you, and will be here for you, forever, Lilli-chan."

AN: How sweet. Strange, but sweet. I think that this scene could definitely have occurred in Eva, only then there wouldn't have been a happy ending. 

Anyway, there are still a few more dilemmas to work out, but not to worry, the story is almost done. And for the first time in fifty one chapters, I know what's going to happen next. Sorry to all of you who are feeling betrayed, but I've actually worked out the ending of the story. I know, bad DreyonLegacy, bad, go sit in the corner, etc.

Oh, before I go, just wanted to let you know that I've stuck in another pointless reference to one of my other fics. Two, actually, Operation Spider, and Project Ares. "Wing's don't make an Angel, halo's do." Here, it's the same, with angel (Angel, lol) replaced by the ability to fly and halo by a very similar thing, 'Light of the soul'. And that's your random thought of the day.


	52. Cowardice and Ignorance

Guess what? It's time for a plot hole! Yay! Because I'm a muse and thus all-powerful, I get to make a huge plot hole right in the middle of an important event! Yay! So, everybody pretend that for some reason, the people at NERV now trust Ariline, Samantha and Dai-syo. Alright? 

To make up for the plot hole, though, today's chapter will be special:

Fourth Impact, Layra's Spastic Sugar-High Sunshine remix! 

Cue: music, lights

Disclaimer: I don't own Eva. I do own Layra's Spastic Sugar-High Industries, though.

Fourth Impact

Chapter 52: Cowardice and Ignorance

Adamu walked into the classroom, eliciting stares from his classmates. They didn't remember him, and he had changed. The loss of his real arm and the battle scars that still hadn't healed gave him a very rakish, dangerous look. He still had the same tough physique and wild hair, and the combination was incredible. Needless to say, the girls were lost. 

"Hello, there." One of them sidled up to him. "What's your name?" she asked flirtatiously. He stared at her confusedly. Another girl came up on his other side, fluttering her lashes at him. He held out his hand to ward them off.

That was when Misato entered. "What?" she screeched. She ran up to him and grabbed his hand, yanking it away from the girls and clutching it possessively. "Mine!" she shouted at everyone, with no regard for Adamu's sensitive hearing. "Mine! He's mine! Stay away or I'll kill you!" 

He cringed away from her shrieking, and put his free hand to her lips to silence her. "Misa-chan, please, not so early in the morning." She stopped, still holding his hand between hers, and smiled at him.

"Sorry." She mumbled, beginning to walk toward her seat. 

"Can I have my hand back?" he asked. She giggled, tempted to deny him, but in the end let go. In return for screaming in his ear she leaned over and kissed him in front of everyone. He returned the kiss with passion, to let everybody know that he wasn't available, among other reasons. 

"Now that you've had your little demonstration," said a lazy, smirking voice, "can I get you to give each other some air so that we can get to our most important lessons?" 

Misa broke the kiss for long enough to stick her tongue out at Takoru, then clamped her lips back onto Adamu's. He finally pulled back when he heard his sister's giggling and guided her to their seats. 

Their teacher strode in, blinking at the students. "Stand, bow, sit." Ordered Takoru. Then the teacher sat down at his desk and started taking attendance. 

When he got to Misato's name, instead of saying present she announced, "It's not Ikari Misato anymore. My name is now Nagisa Misato." She flashed her ring for the class to see. A chorus of 'oohs' came from around her. She blushed and sat down. 

The teacher took no note of any of this and simply marked her present. 

After school…

Thump!

"Ask her, you idiot!" Misato screamed, glaring at Takoru. He rubbed his head and tried to stand up, but she knocked him down. "She's still scared that you'll leave her, you know." 

"Why can't she do it, then?" he asked plaintively. "I'm still not sure that she's willing to commit to _me_ of all people." 

"Because she's too scared, stupid." She kicked him lightly in the ribs. "She's scared that if she did, you'd reject her." 

"So what can I do?" he asked, dodging a slap. He jumped to his feet, but was caught by the backhand slap. 

Misato glared at him, really glared at him. He felt his defenses begin to melt beneath her wrath. "You idiot. Buy a ring, get down on your sorry knees and beg her to marry you. And do it soon, her birthday's coming up." 

Thump!

"Ask him, you idiot!" Adamu told his sister, who sat on the ground rubbing her head. "He still doesn't think you want him."

"Why can't _he_ ask _me_ then?" she asked. "I mean, he might not want me after all."

"Because he's too stupid, you coward." He scowled at her. "He's too stupid to understand that a verbal promise isn't enough." 

"So what can I do?" she asked, averting her gaze from him. She slid to her feet, but he tripped her. 

Adamu glared at her, really glared at her. She felt herself shrink away from his angry gaze. "You coward. Buy a ring, go up to him and beg him to marry you. And do it soon, our birthday's coming up. And I know you'll want to have him legally."

Takoru slid into the jewelry shop, glancing around. His fingers drummed against his wallet as he looked about. Then he saw it, the perfect ring. A huge pale sapphire in a white-silver band. And a glance at the tag showed that it wasn't out of his reach! 

He quickly bought it and slipped it and its box into his pocket, scurrying home with the broadest smile on his face.

Love is a catchy tune 

_I find myself humming it wherever I go_

_I want to stand on top of the world_

_And sing it at the top of my lungs,_

But then people would look at me funny

So I only sing it in private for the most part.

Lilliko jumped as footsteps came up behind her. She spun to see her brother looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?" she demanded. He slowly began to smile at her. "All right, all right, so I'm nervous. I just don't want him finding out." She told him. "I mean, if he rejects me before I get my courage up…" 

"Don't worry. He loves you more than life itself. But if he does catch you, I guess that would ruin the moment."

"Well then, go away before you attract any more attention!" 

Love is a beautiful song With lyrics to melt the hardest heart 

_Though sometimes the words can be _

_Hard to read and embarrassing to say._

I can't tell you how red my face became

The first time I sang it out loud.

They were in the park, the three families, enjoying their reunion. Touji and Asuka were bickering as usual, and Hikari was being distracted by Kaoru's recounting of her son's deeds. 

"But of course, your son wasn't worried in the least. He went up and slashed right through the arm, saving my Lilli-chan from being pounded by the rogue Eva…"

None of the adults noticed that Takoru and Lilliko had been glancing nervously at one another throughout the entire picnic, each keeping one hand in a pocket. (An: This will be interesting. Yay gender equality!)

Misato started to snicker. For all the pranks that they had played on her and Adamu, this would even the score a bit. 

"Is something funny?" her mother asked. She just giggled and shook her head. 

"Just remembering, mother." 

And sometimes the lyrics are sad And the music discordant 

_Hard to listen to, hard to bear._

_Some people stop singing,_

_Stop listening,_

_And never listen again._

Takoru and Liliko's eyes met, and they both glanced away blushing furiously. Kaoru noted this. "Lilli-chan, Takoru-kun, why are you acting so shy?"

_What if I get rejected?_ Thought two people simultaneously. But next to each sat someone they trusted and whispered to them, "Don't worry. You won't be rejected." 

Takoru then cleared his throat, causing Lilliko to flinch. She shot to her feet, startling everyone. Takoru got up and walked over to her and began to pull his hand out of his pocket at the same time as Lilliko. They reached out in unison and linked hands, each too distracted to notice the box in the other's hand.

_But then the beat picks up_

_And it makes people want to dance_

_And it only sounds better than before._

Though of course,

I'm told that I have no taste.

"Lilliko," 

"Takoru,"

"I almost lost you, and I need to know that you'll stay with me."

"Will you marry me?" they both asked at the same time, completely unaware up to that point that the other had been speaking.

Silence. 

Click, Flash! Everyone spun to see Misato brandishing her camera. Well, everyone but the couple, who were still staring at each other. Suddenly Lilliko broke away. "Misato, you little fiend, you knew about this, didn't you?" She stormed toward the grinning girl, who was backing away slowly. 

"Actually, it was my idea." She said, sticking her tongue out. "And now I have it all on film for godmother." She passed the camera to Adamu before Lilliko began chasing her in earnest. "Hey, at least he asked you, right?" That only elicited a growl from the blue-haired Angel. "Come on, it was funny! And really romantic!" Another growl. "Look, after all you two have done to me and Adamu-chan—" Lilliko tackled her, sending the two of them flying across the greens.

Meanwhile, Takoru remained frozen where he was, a ring box in each hand, staring blankly ahead. 

"What just happened?" he asked.

Adamu bopped him on the head. "You just got engaged. Congratulations, you're an idiot." 

AN: Talk about a self-ruining moment. What if they both said no? They didn't even respond to each other! Don't leave us hanging like this! 

Unfortunately for those who wish for a sad, twisted ending, logical analysis shows that they have both accepted simply by asking one another. Oh well.

'Love is Catchy' is yet another song by Drey-chan. I think Drey-chan secretly pines to be a songwriter but is too much under my control to be one. Sigh, how sad. 

Next up, however, is the twins' birthday, and I'll bet that you'll never guess what Lilliko and Takoru are getting for Adamu. You never will.

See ya, DJ Spastic Sugar-High signing out. 


	53. Sweet Sixteen

Because of circumstances well within my control, I am writing this chapter too. That means pure, uncensored—Bleep—. Yay! Happy Birthday Spastic Sugar-High remix!

Disclaimer: …and Anno said, "Layra does not own Eva." And behold, Layra did not own Eva, and Anno saw that it was legal…

-Layra, 3.1.3-4

Fourth Impact:

Chapter 53: Sweet Sixteen

Adamu woke up groggily. Yay. Birthday. The one day of the year where Lilliko's one-hour seniority was flaunted and abused. 

"Morning, younger brother!" chirped Lilliko through the wall. "How's it feel to be sixteen?" They were both a bit upset. Lilliko because since everyone had returned to Tokyo 4, Takoru had been sleeping at his family's house, and Adamu because he had woken up and the world still existed. 

"It feels like it was to be fifteen. Too much work and not worth the effort." 

He could hear Lilliko's chuckling. "Well, you'll feel much better about being sixteen by tonight, I promise."

He slid out into the streets and wandered toward the park, where Misato was sitting beneath a tree reading. She looked up, then bounced into his arms before settling him against the tree and using him as a backrest. 

"What are you reading?" he asked. She showed him the cover. "_Sky and Shadow._ Any good?" 

She nodded. "One of the main characters really reminds me of you. He's shy, and sweet, and he doesn't understand a thing about human emotion." 

Adamu blinked. "Thank you for the analysis. I'll have to read the book sometime." 

Misato grinned. "Be careful, though. The author must have had a lot of issues, because some parts of the book make no sense, like the part about how babies should be born in artificial wombs to prevent sexism and homophobia." 

(AI: Just in case you're wondering, this is a plug. A shameless plug. A very big shameless plug, like the one in Drey-chan's—erk.

Drey-chan: *one hand on Layra's braid* you can stop right there, Layra-chan.

Layra: sorry. I forgot that you're still alive. Anyway, the story is Sky and Shadow, by DreyonLegacy, and might get posted on FictionPress if we get enough requests. It's quite interesting to see how far anti-bigotry will go.)

Adamu blinked again. So far his birthday had gone from bad to strange. But Misato was sitting in his lap, and he had his arms around her, so it wasn't too bad anymore. 

"You have it all?" asked Lilliko. Takoru nodded, showing it to her. "Good. Tonight, Adamu will get the best birthday present anyone's ever gotten." 

Takoru laughed. "It all depends on how far he's willing to take it." 

Lilliko snickered. "Well, if my brother inherited anything from father, that won't matter." Rei always had a dreamy smile on her face for a reason. 

Takoru took Lilliko's hand, rubbing the ring on her finger. "And what do you want for your birthday?" he asked. 

"Remember what you said you wanted for your sixteenth birthday?" she asked. He blinked. "Remember, what you said to your mother?" He nodded. "That's what I want."

He looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I mean, I'm not so sure you'd enjoy the spot between your legs as much as I would…" She glared at him, then bopped him on the head.

"You idiot. You know what I want." 

Misato looked up at the shelf, wondering. What could she give him that could possibly rival what he gave to her? 

There were few things that he wanted. As far she knew, the list consisted of: her, shelter, food, the welfare of his family, her, sleep, some time to himself, her, the occasional meaningful conversation, her, and his fiancée. Everything else he didn't really care about. 

Then she saw it. Perhaps…Actually, that would be a good present for both of them. She grinned, imagining a possible future for them all…

Adamu looked up at the clock. He had only a few more minutes of freedom until the party started. Once again a huge party was being organized, only this time without the secrecy and ridiculousness of Misa-chan's birthdays. 

His present to his sister lay in the corner of the room, wrapped in bits of paper that she had used in pranks on him at some point. He had surprised himself when he bought the gift, though he suspected that the people at the store had been even more surprised, both when he bought it and when he had used NERV credit to buy it with. 

Then he heard it. The dreaded doorbell. He stepped out of his room to make the obligatory greeting and spotted his sister flying through the doorway into a pair of black-clad arms. Several passionate kisses later, she pulled back and led the Suzuharas to the lounge. Adamu caught up with them there, and was immediately claimed by Amika as her chair and ride around the house.

The Ikaris arrived soon afterward, and Adamu was a bit more enthusiastic to greet them. 

Misa smirked.

"I leave you alone for one day and you've already got another girl in your arms." She remarked. Adamu blushed and Amika looked at them slightly confused. He put the four-year-old down and took Misa into his arms, bending her back for a very long, drawn out, and very dramatic kiss. He even chose to ignore the whistling coming from his sister and her fiancé. And the whistling from Touji, and Asuka, and the chuckling coming from the other parents. 

He let up when Misa started moaning, though. That only brought forth another round of whistling and laughing. Misa pouted at him. 

"I know that you're the birthday boy and what you want goes, but it's not polite to break off like that when your girl is just starting to really get into it." 

He blinked, and she giggled at him. "Don't worry, I'm just kidding." She brushed past him to get at the food and to place her present on the pile of other presents. 

They were all slightly tipsy by the time that they decided to open the presents. From their parents they got new weapons, a brand new Splinter Sword for Lilliko, and a glaive with a blade made from another Splinter for Adamu. From Misato, the twins got videos of their battles and many other incidents that a drunken Misato had deemed video worthy, including Lilliko's and Takoru's mutual proposal and the four of them on stage 'singing.' From the bridge bunnies, movie tickets and restaurant reservations ("For those special nights with your loved ones." Maya told them with a wink.) From Misa, they got the beginnings of a recording studio. 

"I loved what you for my birthday. You guys should put out a record." She told them. "I'd definitely listen to it." She didn't mention that as another present for Adamu, she would be staying the night. That went without saying.

Lilliko laughed and grabbed the girl in a hug. "What do you mean, 'you guys?' If we ever do that, you're going to be our lead singer!" 

Then it was time for the twins to give each other presents. As always, Lilliko received hers first because 'I'm older than you, so it's more my birthday than yours.' Adamu didn't care enough to protest. 

Adamu got his sister an incredible blue kimono, done in the finest silk with embroidery everywhere. Lilliko accepted with a delighted squeal and brought it up to her room without finding out about the sheer lace teaser outfit hidden inside. 

As for Takoru and Lilliko, "Lilli-chan, can you help me get our present for Adamu ready?" he asked. She nodded. "I'll need your help too, Misa-chan." Misa nodded and followed them out. An indignant squeak found its way to the people still in the lounge. Then, several tense minutes later, the three returned. Or rather, Takoru and Lilliko returned, carrying Misa. Everyone but Shinji and Adamu burst out in raucous laughter at the sight. Misa had been bound and gagged with red gift ribbon, and was wearing nothing but more ribbon wrapped about her in the appropriate places like a mummy's bandages. An intricate bow lay upon her bosom, completing the ensemble. She was struggling, but unable to get herself free…at least without losing her skimpy covering. 

"Happy birthday, dear brother." Lilliko said with a smile, handing him the gift-wrapped girl. "Would you like to unwrap your gift now, or do you want to wait for later?"

He glared at her and Takoru. "Whose idea was this?" he asked. The two pointed at each other innocently. "I mean it."

"It was my idea." Takoru confessed. "Don't you like it? It's not everyday that you get a girl all trussed up and helpless like that." (AN: See? Even Takoru the idiot knows how much value there is to a helpless, tied up girl. Drey-chan, on the other hand…)

With a final glare Adamu picked Misato up and carried her up the stairs to his room, once again to a chorus of whistling. This time several resounding slaps echoed from below. He lay her on the bed and studied the outfit for a few moments, then cut through the gag and bonds. 

"When I get my hands on those two…" she began. 

"Please, I want to kill them. It's my birthday." He told her. She nodded. "Where are your clothes?" 

"In the closet. Takoru stuffed them in there while Lilliko was wrapping me up." He nodded and left. After a moment of waiting she followed, careful not to disturb the ribbons too much. She knew that the bow was the only thing holding her costume together, and that it was very fragile. 

She had made it as far as the stairs when Adamu intercepted her. 

"Actually, could you stay like that?" he asked. She let out an indignant yelp. "Please, just to show my sister and Takoru that you don't care. Besides, it looks nice." 

"Nice?" she demanded. "It's a second skin! The only thing it doesn't show is the color of my—" she cut herself off as she realized that everyone could hear. Adamu smirked, picked her up again and brought her downstairs. He placed her in a seat beside him and glanced at his sister, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. 

"A dance, milady?" asked Takoru suddenly. They could hear the music rising, a guitar and a soft voice. The Nagisas as a whole froze in place.

That song… 

_…Yet if I couldn't laugh, _

_I'd have to cry, _

_Knowing that I only listen_

_When you scream. _

_But even if life is cruel to us,_

_You don't have to hurt yourself_

_To make it easier for me. _

_I understand what you are going through_

_And I love you just the same. _

Adamu found himself in Misa's arms, swaying slowly to the music. She lay her head against his chest, the bow pressed between them. A meter away, Takoru and Lilliko were in the same position, though neither couple noticed the other. Nor did they notice the rest of the guests slowly slipping away. To them, the entire world consisted of the Angel in their arms. 

The four of them danced, for how long they could not say. It was all over. The battles, the pain, everything was over and life was back to normal. A loved one in their arms, and joy in their hearts. 

Finally Adamu leaned down and kissed Misa again. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms firmly about his neck. Then he realized that Lilliko and Takoru were gone. He could hear the constant heartbeat in the back of his mind…_Wait, that's Misa-chan's heartbeat…_He smiled, then picked up his fiancée bridal style and carried her up the stairs and into his room. 

They lay down and settled in for bed. Just before she fell asleep, though, Adamu leaned forward and tugged at the end of a ribbon coming from the bow with his teeth. The ribbons burst off, leaving Misa nude and blushing. He himself was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, and now that he was sixteen…

(AN: Stop drooling…stop drooling…Bad Layra, bad!)

But he only kissed her then lay his head against her bare bosom and fell asleep. Misa let out a sigh of relief…or frustration…

AN: Well, now I know what to get for Drey-chan's birthday… Now where did I put that chunk of the Lance of Loginus…

As for all the romantic physicality? Another quirk of Drey-chan's, who believes that nudity should be romantic, not sexual. Silly Drey-chan. 

BTW, that song that Yuma-chan loved so much, that's not actually a song, sorry to say. It is really just a bunch of quotes from Drey-chan's other stories, with little bits to join them together. Oh well, I think you've gotten enough of Drey-chan's strange taste in music, and muses, and museums, and muskrats… 

Thanx for the review, Vibious. Mmm…college…Too bad it's usually hard to tell how old the author is. Maybe that's good, actually…

*Whispering* You know, Drey-chan, I'd hate to be the one to tell ChibiIchigo that there is only one more chapter after this…

Just kidding! Maybe.

And ShinjiTheStampede, Drey-chan is way too modest to accept such effusive commentary, but I'm glad that someone finally recognizes my greatness! All Hail Layra, Queen of the Universe! 

Uh-oh. Drey-chan's back. The Queen of the Universe is going to go hide for a while, all right?

And remember everybody, it is better to give embarrassing presents than it is to receive. Though a present like the one Adamu got from his sibling/in-law…

Anyone got some ribbon?


	54. Release

Wow, look that the rate that these chapters are being churned out. I have only about three chapters left, too. 

I should slow down, no? Oh well. 

Anyway, now that I'm back to writing instead of my muse, you can expect a little…sugar.

Disclaimer: I've seen some people get really upset at having to right disclaimers over and over again. But all you got to do is type I - d - o - n - o - t - o - w - n - E - v - a. You can even do copy and paste. That works too. 

Fourth Impact

Chapter 54: Release

Dai-syo watched as Ariline chatted quietly with Misa. The two had become instant friends, for reasons he could not understand at all.

"It must be nice, being engaged." Ariline was saying. "To be able to say to the world, this is the one I love, and he loves me enough to stay with me forever." 

Misa giggled. "Yes, it is nice. But you sound sad. Is there someone that you are in love with?" she asked. "Not to be rude, I'm sorry." She added hastily.

"No, it's all right." Ariline replied. "As a matter of fact, there is…someone. But unlike you, we can never be together. We're too different." 

Misa sighed in sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that. But, the world is changing, and I'm sure that you will be accepted here." 

Ariline shook her head ruefully. "Not even here. Even a society as liberal as your could not accept it. Only on our own could we possibly be together." 

Then Misa suddenly gasped. "I…understand. That's…so sad. To be held apart the way you are." Ariline nodded. "Perhaps Dr. Akagi could help you. I'm sure she'll be able to get around the barrier somehow." 

"Maybe, maybe." She didn't sound convinced. 

Dai-syo turned as a hand touched his shoulder. His eyes fell upon Samantha, whose escort was trailing close behind. "She's in love with someone." He whispered. Her eyes narrowed, and she drew back.

"You, Dai-syo, are the biggest idiot I have ever known. You have lived with her for almost a year, and you still have no clue about her. What is wrong with you?" She slapped him. "I'm sorry, but even the fact that you're a boy does not excuse you." she stormed off. 

He chased after her, determined to understand. "Who is it, then?" he demanded. "Who?"

She spun to face him, tears in her eyes. This was the reason she wanted Adam to die, to stop this very sort of misunderstanding. The existence of individuals prevented the unity that should have been. 

"She's in love with her Eva, Dai-syo!" she snarled. She stood, tensed and teary, waiting for his response. He tried to stutter a reply, but she only hit him again and ran off.

Samantha sat on a hill in the ruined Geofront, staring at the devastation. "Why? Why him of all people?" 

"We can't control where our hearts go." She spun to see Adam's host walking toward her. She slid back, suddenly filled with terror. Her body chilled, and her skin became covered with goosebumps as the Angel walked ever closer to her. 

"Quiet." Samantha spat. "You don't even have a heart. You're an Angel" 

Misa calmly lifted the hem of her shirt up to reveal her core. "All that means is that I wear my heart on the outside of my body, where the world can see it." She let her shirt fall back into place. "If all humans were so, the world would be a lot more understanding." She sat down beside Samantha, who quickly scooted away. 

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk." Samantha only glared at her. "Ever since I absorbed Adam, I have begun to sense the emotions of those around me. I feel a great sadness and pain in you." 

Samantha's eyes widened, but she spun away. "Stay out of my head. I heard what you did to Ariline and Dai-syo." 

"You were once a very carefree girl, weren't you." Misa said softly. "And then you fell in love." Samantha shook her head. "I was once much the same. Let your emotions guide you, and you will be fine." 

"My emotions tell me to stay away from everyone, including you, and him, and the girl who stole his heart from me!" She shot to her feet. "I tried to follow my emotions once, and look where I am now!" She turned to leave. 

"Keep trying." Misa told her. "Keep trying, don't give up. Listen to what your heart tells you. Don't lie to yourself, and don't lie to him." She watched Samantha freeze. When the green-haired girl turned around, Misa was gone.

Misa found Adamu waiting for her at the entrance to the main building. "So, since when were you everyone's guardian Angel? Or has little Misa decided to start playing _deus ex_ _machina_, fixing everyone's problems for them?" 

"I'm only doing what my conscience tells me." Misa replied. "They lost, but they are still people, and they have problems that need to be fixed." She shot a glare at her fiancé. "You have no sense of romance, you know." 

He nodded. "But at least I'm not like your father." 

Flashback— 

_"For the last time, we didn't do anything!" she shouted. _

_"You were there all night, naked, I presume," Misa nodded. "And he was…"_

_"He was wearing a pair of shorts." She snapped. _

_"And after all the accusations you made about him being a pervert, he didn't even touch you?" _

_Misato glared at her father. "He might have touched me, I don't know, I was asleep. If he did, I probably enjoyed it enough that it doesn't offend me. But father, we're engaged. Aren't we allowed a little freedom?" _

_"You're engaged, not married." Shinji replied. _

_"Fine then!" Misa flared. "Adamu-chan," she grabbed his arm, "we're getting married right now." She spun to face her father. "And then he can touch me and play with me and ravish me all he wants." Adamu's face as was almost as red as his eyes. "And I don't care how many laws it breaks." _

_Asuka coughed nervously. "Actually, after Third Impact, a few laws were repealed…and the age limit was…um…" _

_Misa's eyes lit up as Shinji's widened in betrayal. "Asuka-chan—" she absently hit him in the back of the head. _

_"Quiet dear. They're getting married. Now shut up." He nodded meekly. _

"So is the date set?" she asked. He nodded.

"One month. Lilliko and Takoru are going to wait a while longer. Are you sure you want to do this so soon? You do know what I'll do as soon as we're free." 

"You'll take me somewhere private, tear my clothing off, and have your dirty way with my poor, helpless body." She said calmly. "And I'll be very disappointed if you don't." She skipped away. 

"Free to go?" asked Ariline. Misato nodded. "Even after—"

"Misa-chan convinced me that you are alright." Misato told them. "Besides, with the wedding coming up, we needed to get you out of the way." 

"Wedding?" Ariline's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Who?"

"Misa-chan and Adamu-kun." Misato replied absently. 

"Misa-chan!" Ariline squealed. "Please, can we attend?" Her eyes grew wide. If this were an anime, her eyes would even start to take up her entire face, and hundreds of lights would shine from within. Since it isn't, they stayed pretty much the same size but the moisture did reflect a bit more than usual. 

"If we…" Misa then appeared, Adamu close behind. "Misa-chan, is it alright if the three of them attend the wedding?" Misa looked over the trio. Samantha looked nervous, Dai-syo confused, but Ariline was bursting with energy. 

"Sure." She chirped. "As long as you three can occupy yourselves for the next four weeks, it will be fine." 

Ariline nodded happily and embraced Misa. "Thank you!" she stood back and gestured to her companions. "I guess this is goodbye, then." Misa nodded. "Well, thanks for everything." She turned to her friends. "Wait here while I get changed. We'll meet up in the front of the building, all right?" The two nodded and Ariline ran off. 

The three of them made their way back to Kyoto and moved into a three-bed hotel room. Ariline kept staring out the window towards where Unit 16 was settled. 

Life soon returned to normal for the three of them, Samantha waking up everyone with her singing, the daily spats between her and Dai-syo, Dai-syo and Unit 16 constantly challenging one another, and Ariline trying to calm everyone down. 

Every day Ariline would walk to where Unit 16 was staying and simply sit inside her Eva, talking to her. It was during these sessions that Ariline realized what she wanted to do with her life. "Unit 16, I want to become an actress. I want to let the world see me, and I want to talk to everyone through the big screen. What do you think?" 

Unit 16 let out a low rumble that could almost be called a purr. "I'm glad you approve."

Samantha sat at the desk, looking at what she had written. Was she really going to leave? To abandon her only two friends and go back to America, to her long, tedious series of foster homes and orphanages? Did she really want to return to the loveless land of gang wars and street politics? _Loveless. That's why. There is no love there, and thus no heartbreak._ She had lied to Dai-syo. She had never had a boyfriend. She had a gang, but she had ruled by fear, not love. And when the time came, she left them, and they quickly dispersed. 

Yet, if she left, Ariline would be sad. Samantha smiled ruefully. If only she had fallen for her, instead of him. But Dai-syo shared many qualities with Ariline; he could be kind, could be generous and gentle, could be sweet. Unlike Ariline, however, he was not so innocent, he could accept hardship and pain, and he had the strength to stand on his own and the will to do so. 

And her? What did Samantha Azrael have? Short, messy hair, a temper to match, shifty black eyes, and the stupidest heart in the universe. She had an independent streak, but did not have the will to live alone. 

Her phone rang. "Samantha! Get here quick! Dai-syo's gotten trapped in a karaoke bar and we don't know enough Japanese to tell people that he wants to leave!" Samantha blinked at the sound of Ariline's voice. Then she crumpled up the note and tore it apart with a stream of dots.

"Where did you wander off to this time?"

AN: If you think you were jumping up and down, Layra-chan was…never mind. Don't worry, ChibiIchigo, two more chapters and an epilogue to go… depending. The story part of the fic will be done in two chapters, but the epilogue may be one or two parts depending on reader response. 

Layra-chan: You're actually asking for reviews? How could you? 

DreyonLegacy: I'm not asking, I'm making a neutral statement with no bias toward or against reader's reviewing. If they do not want to have their preferences acknowledged, that's fine with me. 


	55. Fourth Impact

Drey-chan, stop that! Don't give me that look. Just because I have no knowledge about what's supposed to happen doesn't mean that I can't fake it. 

Silence

Um, you didn't just read that.

Disclaimer: Ever notice how some people are really insecure about the things they own? Like the people who insist on people like me putting on disclaimers. It's not like I'm making any money off of this. Yet they still demand that I always say: "I don't own Eva." It's sad.

Chapter 55: Fourth Impact 

Misato looked around again. The clean up of the Geofront was going well, at least in the part intended for Misa's wedding. But then, she was the unofficial mascot of NERV, and virtual daughter to everybody there. They wanted to show how much they loved her.

"No, no, no, put that over there!" she shouted through the megaphone. "What have I told you people about blocking the view?" 

She turned to see Kaoru and Rei landing beside her, having finished setting up the cameras. "The cameras are set up. Is Ritsu-kun around?" asked Kaoru. 

"Over there." She pointed to where Ritsuko and Maya were arguing about something. "You'll have to wait a bit for the wiring." 

"What about the dome?" asked Rei. "Shall we start on that?" Misato looked up. The holes in the ceiling of the Geofront were being fixed, slowly. The one right above the wedding area was already patched up, but there were a few others that could let cold drafts in. 

"See if you can help the construction crews. I'll tell you when Ritsu-chan is done." 

Her phone rang. "Commander, Unit 16 is here." Misato smiled. 

"Bring the children here. Show Unit 16 to the catapults and move it into the main chamber." 

Big day. Big day. Big day. The words echoed in Misa's head over and over, threatening to drive her insane. "If someone says that it's the 'big day' one more time, I'm going to strangle him."

She shook the feeling off. She needed to call Lilliko about the kimono. For the first time in a week Misa was at her own house, because of the tradition of the husband and wife not seeing each other until the wedding. She rolled her eyes. "Stupid custom." 

She dialed up Lilliko's phone. "Lilli-chan?" She asked. A giggle answered her.

"Hi, Misa-chan—Takoru-chan! No! Not while I'm on the phone!" Misa's eyebrows furrowed. 

"About the kimono—"

"Takoru-chan! Take your hand out of my—" Lilliko gasped, then burst into giggles. Misa's eyebrows furrowed even further as a muffled grunt was heard in the background. 

"Is this a bad time?" she asked, a possible scenario forming in her head. 

"No, it's fine." Lilliko sounded out of breath. "It's just that Takoru-chan—Takoru! No! Not with your tongue!" Another gasp came through the phone. 

Misa quickly hung up, horrified. What had they been doing? 

A few minutes later her phone rang, and she picked it up. "Sorry, Misa-chan." Said Lilliko. "Takoru-chan had found his way into my stock of sugar cubes and had decided to take a few." Misa blinked. "He'd gotten his head stuck when he'd tried to go too far into my closet, that's why I was laughing so hard." Misa blinked again. It sounded a bit contrived, but in the interest of surviving until the wedding…

"Fine, fine, I don't need to know what was really happening. Anyway, about the kimono…"

Adamu stared as he caught sight of his bride. A beautiful, forming fitting red kimono, embroidered with yellow flowers and butterflies. Her hair had been done in an intricate weaving of braids and beads, hanging down to her waist. 

But most beautiful were her eyes, shining brightest blue and reflecting everything around. It filled him with indescribable joy to know that those eyes were shining for him, and him only. 

She stepped onto the walkway leading to the altar and the ceremony began. 

Asuka surprised everyone by breaking into tears, but managed to glare at everyone enough to keep them from commenting. Rei only sat with her eyes wide and a smile on her lips, clutching her husband fondly. 

"We never did this." She whispered. "Why not?"

"We didn't feel it necessary, remember?" he replied. "Our vows were much more private."

"They're so young…" Asuka sobbed to her husband. "This is all your fault, you know. If you hadn't pushed her, we could have kept her for another few months." She hit him absently. 

Shinji didn't, couldn't reply.

Misa and Adamu were completely oblivious to everything but each other, keeping their eyes locked throughout the entire event. They didn't even need Misa's empathic ability to know what the other was feeling. _I love you, forever._

Misato presided, being the only authority that everyone could agree on. For once the woman was sober, but in open defiance of tradition, she wore her NERV Commander uniform instead of vestments. And she wore her cross on the outside of her shirt. 

They had gotten as far as the sake ceremony when Lilliko's gift burst apart in a shower of sparks, streamers, and whipped cream. Takoru's present started yipping and bounced off the table, splitting into two furry balls and running off in different directions.

Silence

Then the cake exploded. 

Misato grinned as everything was caught on camera. 

A few chaotic hours later, Misa and Adamu found themselves the guests of honor at the biggest, fanciest restaurant/hotel in Tokyo 4. 

"A toast." Kaoru proclaimed. "To my son and my new daughter. May they love each other for all eternity."

"And give us lots of cute children to play with." Rei added.

Glasses were raised to the blushing couple. "Thank you," Misa replied, since Adamu seemed unable to even speak. Seeing an opportunity, Misa smirked. "I must say, when I first met him I never would have expected this. He was such a jerk…"   

Adamu almost choked, but Misa continued mercilessly. "…And all he could think about was getting away from everyone. Doesn't that sound rude to you…"

When she finished, Adamu stood up, glaring at his grinning wife. "Well, then. My turn." He looked about the table, at all of the people who were awaiting his biting retorts to her accusations. "Where to start? I guess…when we first met, almost a year ago, I thought she was a rather silly girl, prone to squealing and laughing at the slightest things. As I came to know her, I found that I was completely, totally…" he shot her another glare, "correct. She is one of the silliest, most simple-minded…" 

After the biting commentary from husband and wife, the dancing started. Ariline, Dai-syo and Samantha ducked out early to return to Kyoto, but everyone else remained, dancing and drinking and offering congratulations…among other things. 

The presents were handed out, and Misa found herself passed from partner to partner, as did Adamu. Finally, it was Takoru's present, a pair of twin pups, which pulled them off the dance floor. The puppies were yipping, and Misa took off to try and calm them down. Adamu could only follow, hiding his relief.

"Well, you could probably guess what my present was supposed to do." Lilliko remarked a while later. "I thought I had set it to go off right after the reception finished, but apparently, owing to a certain idiot, I didn't put enough charcoal in." she glared at her boyfriend, who tried to put on an innocent face.

Misa laughed, stroking one of Takoru's presents. The ash-grey puppy yawned and settled deeper into her lap. 

A little while later, Adamu stood up, depositing the puppy in his lap on a chair. "Do you mind if we leave a bit early?" he asked. "That look in my sister's eye doesn't bode well." 

Misa glanced at her fiancé—_husband,_ she reminded herself firmly. "Oh?"

"I keep getting the oddest feeling," he whispered to her, "that she, in collusion with certain other people, will force us to consummate right in front of them, and I want to get away." Misa's eyes widened and she nodded vigorously.

"Right. Let's go." She placed the puppy on the cushion beside her, but before she could get up, Adamu swept her off her feet and carried her away. 

He carried her to the suite they had rented for the night and locked the door. "Finally." He sighed with relief, turning back to his wife. "I thought I'd never get away." 

She shook her head. "You really hate social events, don't you." He nodded vigorously.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have married the daughter of NERV."

"Perhaps you're right." He agreed. "Do you think I could give her back?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just kidding." 

She grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him forward so that their noses were almost touching. Glaring into his eyes, she hissed, "Next time that you make a joke like that, drop the straight face so that I know that you're doing so. I am one of the most jealous girls on the planet, and you are mine now. Mine!" 

He nodded meekly. An awkward silence descended on the couple. 

"So?" she asked. He blinked. "What are you waiting for?" 

"Huh?" he asked stupidly.

"I already told you what I want from you, now either start moving or get the divorce papers." He blinked again, then, without warning, tackled her onto the bed. 

That night, two teenagers became adults as they became one. Adamu and Misa. Lillith and Adam. 

Impact. 

AN: Bet you didn't see that coming. I didn't. For once, Drey-chan actually managed to hide something from me. Pout. 

Anyway, one last chapter, then the epilogue, and then you can go back to your life and your friends and family and leave us all alone, *cries* I don't want to be alone!

Silence

Never mind. 


	56. A Proof of Quadratic Reciprocity

A Proof of Quadratic Reciprocity:

We shall prove quadratic reciprocity using one of Gauss' methods, by way of the modified division algorithm, Gauss' lemma, and the Pretty Picture theorem.

1) Modified Division algorithm:

For all x, y in **N**, there exist integers q and r such that x = qy + er, with 0 £ r £ y/2 and e = (-1) ^ [2x/y]

Proof: 

Because q can be any integer, we can assume WLOG that x y and prove for y x by subtracting from q. 

We can find a q such that |x – qy| £ y/2 because if it is more than y/2, then adding or subtracting 1 from q will switch the sign of x – qy and place it within y/2 of 0. 

If x – qy 0, then x = qy + r, and 2x/y = (2qy + 2r)/y = 2q + 2r/y. 2q is an even integer, so it can be ignored, so there is only 2r/y left. r £ y/2, so 2r/y £ 1. Ignoring the case where r = y/2 for now, 2r/y 1, so [2x/y] = 2q, which is even. Thus e = 1 and it fits. The same argument works backward, so if e = 1, x = qy + r.

If x – qy 0—

Drey-chan: Layra-chan, what are you doing?!

Layra: I'm proving quadratic reciprocity for our readers.

Drey-chan: But this is supposed to be the last chapter of Fourth Impact! And I'm supposed to be the one writing it!

Layra: Really? *Pouts*

DreyonLegacy: Yes, Layra-chan. We made a deal. I write the chapter, you jump up and down and yell at the TV.

Layra-chan: TV! TV! TV! Ka-boom! *Runs off*

DreyonLegacy: sigh.

Disclaimer: Wow, I've done so many disclaimers. Perhaps I could skip one? No, I guess not now that I've gotten so far. If I forget the disclaimer and they yank the fic off the site, where will all my hard work be? 

So, in all regrets…screw that. See chapter 3

Fourth Impact

Chapter 56: Side Effects May Include…

Impact

For a single instant, the entire universe stopped.

Ten hovering disks suddenly formed around the building, connecting into a huge figure sprawling across hundreds of kilometers. 

Roots and branches seemed to sprout from the building, extending into the air and ground. The shards of the Lance of Loginus flew up to drive themselves into the inverted tree growing in the middle of the city. 

Then the tree shattered as a brilliant white light shot out from the hotel room, spreading out in all directions, across the planet and into space. 

A rip appeared in the fabric of Reality as two figures appeared on the battlefield, ejected from the world of their own making. One of them roared in triumph as the other collapsed in despair. And then they were swept into battle once again.

The light pierced through stone, metal, flesh with ease, subtly altering everything it touched. 

In that moment, billions of stars became supernovas, and huge portions of the universe went dark. The sun bulged outward, then sunk back into itself. 

All across the world, everybody suddenly burst into full consciousness. The Sea of LCL spit out billions of people, then evaporated. 

In NERV bases, Evas fell apart, disintegrating into LCL and dust. The Geofront exploded with new vegetation, everything in full bloom.

Billions of lights covered the Earth as each human's soul was bathed in the glow of life. A cry of infinite joy burst out, a song that rumbled in each human's heart, reverberated in the primitive and the primordial portions of each being. 

And as suddenly as it had come, the light passed, leaving each soul feeling oddly fulfilled, as if some great task had been accomplished and respite was upon them.

Misa woke up with a slow groan. Everything was fuzzy, and she couldn't find the strength to move. On the plus side, she had found out why Rei always had that strange smile on her face…

She opened her eye to a slit and found silvery hair before her. She could see a bit of pillow through it. She must be lying on top of Adamu. 

Finally getting her muscles to respond to her commands, she sat up a bit, and opened her eyes fully. 

Bad idea.

She hadn't been lying on top of him as she had thought. She was lying _in_ him. Shrieking, she pulled back, a sharp pop shooting through her as their cores were yanked apart. She sat up, with her hips sunk in his and her hands inside his chest, looking down at him. 

He opened his eyes. "Good morning." He said blandly. "Why are you awake so early?" 

"Adamu-chan, we're joined at the hips!" she screamed at him. He looked down and blinked calmly. 

"I take it that you won't be getting up, then?" She pulled out of him completely, each feeling a slight jolt as their AT fields fell back into place and sealed up. Immediately the buzzing in Misa's head ceased. 

Then she noticed that something else was missing. 

"Adamu-chan, I can't feel Adam anymore."

She woke with a start, finding no memory of having fallen asleep. She glanced around, suddenly very worried. The trees were a lot bigger than they had been the night before…A lot bigger. And her body felt different. What happened…

Operator: Someone set up us the bomb

Operator: We get signal—

DreyonLegacy: Layra-chan! Stop that!

Layra-chan: what?

Stop that!!

Ariline slid out of bed, worried. She had felt Impact, and knew that something had happened, something that would make a big difference to her. 

She slipped into her plugsuit and pulled a long coat over it, then slipped out the door without waking Samantha or Dai-syo. Or so she thought. 

She looked around, tensed and frightened. The situation was completely alien, and she was not used to handling new situations. She wasn't the one who was supposed to think. She was supposed to act. 

A cracking twig alerted her to another nearby. She spun to face the newcomer, when suddenly a familiar presence. 

"Unit 16!" 

Samantha glared at the boy beside her. "Look, she's a big girl, she doesn't need you looking out for her all the time." 

"She took off in a big hurry. You felt what happened last night. Whatever it is, she's worried, and so we should be worried too." Samantha rolled her eyes at him but kept going, tracing Ariline's path through the forest. 

"Well, just remember, now that Lillith's gone so are our powers." 

"We'll be prepared enough."

Neither of them would ever have expected to see what they did when they got to the clearing, though. 

Blink. Blink. Attempt to not stare…Attempt to avert eyes…attempt to block bleeding from nose…

Ariline had her arms around a completely nude girl with long, crimson hair and lips locked on hers. The new girl had long, talon-like fingers gripping Ariline's coat, and was dripping LCL.

The redhead pulled out of Ariline's embrace and shoved the blonde behind her, growling at Dai-syo. A third eye shot open in the middle of the girl's forehead, revealing nothing but crimson.

"No!" Ariline shouted. "Wait!" 

The redhead continued to growl, but Ariline held her back. "Jurokume-chan…" Unit 16 turned to look at Ariline, her growl turning into a purr. "Don't worry. They're friends." 

Then Ariline looked over at Samantha and Dai-syo. "Don't be alarmed. It's only Unit 16. I don't know how this happened," she said, gesturing to Unit 16's new body, "but I'm not objecting." she concluded with a smile.

Dai-syo blinked. "But…Unit 16 is…"

Samantha grabbed Dai-syo's collar and hauled him back into the forest. She sighed. "Look around you. Unit 16 the Eva is gone. The clearing is empty. That girl has Unit 16's eye, her claws, and if that weren't enough, she even has scars in the same places that Unit 16 got hit by Unit 19's thorns. To top it off, her core has the exact same hue and patterning as Unit 16's. And that's if the girl's aura isn't enough." 

Dai-syo glanced out to the clearing to see Ariline and Unit 16 kissing again. "Dai-syo, when I told you that she was in love with her Eva, I didn't mean platonically. I mean full-blown, tooth-rot-fluffy, down-on-one-knee-proposal-in-the-moonlight-with-roses love." She shook her head. "You are blind, Dai-syo."

"Look, I need to talk to you, all right?" Dai-syo asked. "A lot just happened, and I'm confused."

She almost smiled. "Fine with me. I…I need to talk to you too. About something else."

Now's my chance. Now that he's seen that Ariline's taken… 

Misato looked down at the screen before her, blinking owlishly. "So, that was Fourth Impact?" she asked Ritsuko.

"No more Adam, no more Lillith, and the Sea of LCL is gone." Ritsuko replied. "Everyone in the hospital's been completely cured, and several stars went supernova last night. That was Fourth Imapct all right." She turned to Misato. "By the way, the UN called."

Misato groaned.

An hour after they got back to the hotel, Ariline walked in dragging Unit 16 behind her. Unit 16, or Jurokume as Ariline called her now, was dressed in Ariline's coat, while Ariline wore only her plugsuit. "Juro-chan, welcome to our home, at least until we rent an actual apartment or buy a house." Jurokume looked around, her third eye staring while her other two blinked rapidly. All three of her eyes were pure crimson, with no defined iris or pupil. She clung to Ariline's hand and shook her head. "Please, I know it's not what you're used to, but it's what we have." 

Then Ariline turned to Dai-syo and Samantha. "Since it didn't work to well before, I'd like to introduce you to my love, Jurokume Evangelion." She pushed Jurokume forward. "Juro-chan, I know you remember these two from before, but do you want to reintroduce yourself? Start over without all the bitterness?" Jurokume glanced back at her for a moment, then turned to Samantha and Dai-syo, bowing. 

"Well met, sir, madam. 'Tis a pleasure to meet ye. My name is Jurokume, though mayhap you hadst known me as Unit 16 before." She turned to look at Dai-syo alone. "I assure thee with all of my heart, artificial though it be, I would have no contention with thee if thou wouldst have none with me. I concern myself only with the health and happiness of milady, and would be at peace with thee if thou dost so wish."

Dai-syo could only blink in shock. Her Japanese was far better than his, though a bit antiquated, and her manners were very polished. Samantha answered for him. "Good to meet you too, Jurokume." She said in her blunt, American way. "Glad to know that you're wiping the slate clean. Dai-syo's happy too, he's just a bit dazed right now," she glared at him, "aren't you." 

Dai-syo still wasn't responding, so she grabbed his head and pushed it forward as if he was nodding. 

Ariline chuckled at the gesture. Dai-syo snapped out of his shock and grinned a bit foolishly. Samantha only threw her hands in the air and fell onto her bed. 

"Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm going back to sleep." 

Adamu held his wife in his arms, staring at the ceiling. For the first time since Yumana's death, he felt whole again. 

Misa shifted, and Adamu felt a slight pain as her cross dug into his shoulder. She had insisted on putting it on right after they separated, and he hadn't the heart to object. Besides, she looked good wearing the necklace…and nothing else. 

A heartbeat slowly thrummed in the back of his mind, a reassurance that he was not alone, that he was accepted and loved for being himself, Nagisa Adamu Ikari, Angel, hero, husband and in dire need of a drink. 

And God is in His Heaven, and All is Right with the World.

AN: And that's it. That's Fourth Impact. 56 chapters, all building up to the most influential honeymoon in the history of mankind. 

In case you were—

Layra makes a daring interrupt to present: End of Fourth Impact Omakes!

Omake:

Now's my chance. Now that he's seen that Ariline's taken, I get to have him all to myself and do what ever I want to him and his beautiful body. And he doesn't know that I still have my powers…

Omake 2:

Misato looked down at the screen before her, blinking owlishly. "So that was Fourth Impact?" she asked Ritsuko.

"Actually, that was Seventh Impact." She replied. "Impacts Four, Five and Six went completely unnoticed." She turned to Misato, taking in the look of horror on her face. "Just kidding!" 

Misato groaned.

Omake 3:

An hour after they got back to the hotel, Ariline walked in, dragging Unit 16 behind her. Unit 16, or Jurokume as Ariline called her now, was dressed in Ariline's coat, while Ariline wore only her plugsuit. Both articles of clothing were in tatters, and the two girls wore the most twisted smiles on their faces. 

They walked up to Dai-syo. "Dai-syo," Ariline whispered softly, "I know that you loved me, and though you have Samantha now, and I have Juro-chan, I think that we can still have something…" Ariline and Jurokume advanced on him.

Dai-syo backed away slowly. "Um…Samantha, help?" But Samantha only grinned at him. 

"Foursome!" 

And God is in his Heaven, and All is Right with the World. 

And now the computer is returned to Drey-chan before Layra gets seriously hurt. Bye!

DreyonLegacy: *shaking head* where's a good exorcist when you need one…

Anyway,

Reviews!

ChibiIchigo: I feel for you. I'm always pissed when a good story comes to an end. 

Invincible-Titan: Thanx! Yes, it is good to be god…even though I'm an atheist, and therefore I do not believe in god, and thus I don't exist…uh-oh. 

RisingDragon: If you look carefully, you'll see that the summary is actually a quote from chapter…something, by Samantha. I felt it explained the inner plot well without giving anything away. 

If anyone else sent me reviews for the last chapter, sorry, but I feel like posting this now. Otherwise, I hope that answered all your questions. 

Layra-chan: And about Jurokume?

DreyonLegacy: Jurokume means 'sixteenth' in Japanese. So her name means literally Sixteenth Eva. See?

Layra-chan: I'm talking about the f/f. Do you know how many f/f couples you have in your fics? 

DreyonLegacy: Um…Kay/Resala, Rega/Larana/Misell, Tisako-Emerald, Inara/?…

Layra-chan: At this rate, people are going to think you're just some perverted boy with a thing for fem-slash.

DreyonLegacy: And?

Layra-chan: You can't have them thinking that. I'm supposed to be the pervert. You have to show them that you're doing it for the romantic value and not the stimulation. 

DreyonLegacy: And how am I supposed to do that? It's not like I'm going to admit that I'm actually a girl—


	57. Epilogue

Sorry for the delay. I haven't been paying attention. This is, apparently, the epilogue. In reality, I just got too impatient to wait for reader response, so I'm going to continue as if no one wants to find out the real ending, instead of this cop-out. If anyone does want to get more than this, write, but for now, this is it. I need to work on Mercenaries. Layra-chan needs to calm down and catch up on her…whatever she does in her free time. 

Disclaimer: Shin Seiki Evangelion wa Hideaki Anno to Gainax wo zokusuru.

Fourth Impact: Epilogue:

"I'm what?!" 

AN: 

And that's why teenagers shouldn't have—_What am I saying?!_

Conflicts, Conflagrations, Confessions, and Confetti:

First off, for those of you who are worrying, there is no chapter 39. I skipped it to see how many people would notice. So far, no one's mentioned it. Is my story really _that _confusing?

I ended this fic because unlike my intelligence, my life progresses forward at a rate comparable to most other's. I need to fix up Mercenaries of Carraelia. I also need to figure out if I'm going to be posting my other stories. Here's the deal: I have…a bunch of stories, all of them set in the same universe. Because of this, several are linked. 

They are, in chronological order:

'Fant Haven Part 1: Freedom (Unfinished): Draze Velchi leaves his home to fight for Vantor and protect his colony and his beliefs. He is assigned to the dangerous Jera Samand, a girl with a dangerous past and taste for explosives. His main concern shifts from protecting colonial rights to protecting himself from his superior officer. That is, until Vantor decides to free a suppressed group of colonies from the Earth's control.

'Fant Haven Part 2: Loyalty (Not even started): After five years with Jera, Draze feels odd stirrings within him, telling him that he has to move on. His sister, whom he left as a child, is in danger, and his ward has become the greatest of assassins, but needs help. Yet Jera is unwilling to let him go, and not just because of professional reasons. 

'Fant Haven Part 3: Abandonment (Not even started): Two years have passed, and Draze finally feels that he can settled down. His youth has all but disappeared, and he wants to rest. His true masters, however, are still in need of him, and the Heir of Vantor calls on him again. A war is about to break out, and Draze is needed to spur it on. But can he leave Vantor that easily?

Diamond Shards (Finished): The Earth and space colonies erupt into war again as malcontents strive to take revenge for earlier defeat. The six young Klaidrell pilots of the Solar Protection Team must once again become war heroes. But when the best of them dies in battle…

Operation Spider (Unfinished): Corruption and abuse in the government leads the Mars First Colony to rebel. But the rebellion gets out of hand, and an army springs up to take over the entire EarthSpace system. The children of the original Solar Protection Team try to stop them, but find that they may be fighting for the wrong side…

Project Ares (Finished): Talo, the star of the Solar Protection Team, disappears, leaving the girl he loves heartbroken. She moves on, using her position as Queen of the World to pass a movement forbidding war and weapons. Years later, she finds Talo, but also finds that his long-forgotten siblings are planning to take over the world. Yet there are no weapons left in the Republic…are there?

Darkfire (Unfinished): She was the daughter of the Queen of the World and the World's Savior. She was the granddaughter of Triclaw's Soldier, and the great-granddaughter of Vantor himself. And she was not getting married! So she runs away and, following family tradition, joins the army. But her dreams of freedom are shattered when gets flung into a war against a madman, his two sons, and an ideal that could make or break the human race.

Return From Beyond (Unfinished): It was a fairy-tale ending, the War over and the two of them madly in love. But she couldn't put up with all of his missions, his constant absence. Princess Jessera married someone else, and after several botched attempts at suicide, Dalsen disappears. He reappears working for the Striker, a mysterious man who runs colony CX1-2523 and employs children, turning them into perfect soldiers. When Mars decides to attack, only CX1-2523 is equipped to even defend itself. But Jessera cannot deal with Daslen, not with her heart torn and her pride too strong to control.

Codename: Assassin (Not even started): She hated him, and though he didn't know why, he knew that if she ever caught him, she would kill him. If only she wasn't so pretty…And to make it all worse, they get caught up in corporate politics, and find themselves working together to survive against both a rogue assassination super-weapon and the company that wants it destroyed at all costs. 

Drellium Virus (Not even started): With the Human Empire shattered, the Klaibeasts, the Humans, and the Cyborgs fight for dominance. When a Space Colony crashes to Earth and sends out a virus that etches itself into metal and leeches away energy, the Humans gain the upper hand. But only until a rural cyborg decides that his life is worth fighting for.

Space Phantoms (Finished): The remaining one percent of the human race left after the Great War tries to rebuild society, even as the social structure collapses. Drell technology is all lost, as is the continent Almiricla, now submerged in deadly radiation. To make matters worse, a portion of the human race that escaped into space centuries ago returns, and they haven't lost the technology at all. And they want the Earth for themselves. 

Fires of Dlen (Unfinished): King Xaldur lost his four siblings in less than a minute, leaving him with only their children and a burning need for veangance. He teams up with a girl of amazing psychic abilities and sets off into space to take revenge. But the two of them find that the deaths of Xaldur's siblings was only the beginning of someone else's revenge... 

Empire's Fall (Not even started): Earth had had enough. The Dlen Empire needed to be taken down once and for all, and Earth never had enough scruples to go for a frontal assault. Tali and Mesia, daughters of heroes and nieces of King Xaldur himself, set off with their fiancés to get to the center of the Empire and cut off its head. But their plan goes awry when their enemy is revealed to be their only ally…

Sky and Shadow (Unfinished): Fort Resran was a community of total tolerance. Bigotry and discrimination was unheard of except as vices of the past. But when the Fort is threatened by a potential Empire, the epitome of Resran society is forced to go out into the world, and she finds out exactly how living in a completely balanced society can skew one's ability to judge people. 

Icathoril (unfinished): A prophecy with two potential candidates for its message, one good, one evil. The first is a Prince whose kingdom was destroyed. He lives only to protect a young girl who fell from the sky in a metal cocoon. The second is a Princess whose body had died years before, and whose hatred fuels her new one. She is determined to take revenge against the entire planet for her misery. Unfortunately, the prophecy is too vague to tell which one will win. 

Demon's Heart (unfinished): Wind Leslan knows that Demons are evil, that the Federals run the planet, and that the rebels want to resume space travel. She knows that the Disease is ravaging the planet, stealing memories and minds. She knows that the Demons shot first, starting the war. Or at least, she knows that until a young Demon boy proves that it was actually the humans that fired the first shot…

Mercenaries of Carraelia (unfinished): He wanted to go home. He wanted to avenge his brother's death, and go home. But nothing ever went right for Cieran. Instead, he finds himself living with a girl whose sharp tongue and unending fury makes him wish that he were slightly less ethical. He finds himself trapped on a rustic planet with no hope of getting home or getting the information he came for. And he finds himself very, very annoyed as the girl does something so incredibly stupid, a word hasn't been invented for it yet. 

Note: drells are big, pilot-operated, semi-humanoid war-machines. Klaidrells are bigger, humanoid war-machines, hundreds of times more powerful, but also much more dangerous to pilot. All of the stories above feature Klaidrells.

Layra-chan: Don't forget the hormones! They all feature plenty of hormones!

Continuing with the ranting, 

'Fant Haven depends on Diamond Shards

Project Ares depends on Operation Spider

Darkfire depends on Project Ares

Fires of Dlen depends on Space Phantoms

Empire's Fall depends on Space Phantoms 

Demon's Heart makes more sense if Icathoril has been posted.

If I post any dependent fics, I'm going to have to post the one it depends on first. A lot of fics mention the other fics, but the ones listed right above really need the others to make sense. Just to let you know.

By the way, how many people actually thought I was a girl? Not that I thought I would actually fool anyone, but…

Layra-chan: Wait, you're not a girl?

DreyonLegacy: You haven't noticed? Do I look like a girl to you?

Layra-chan: No, but…you lied to me! *tears forming* 

DreyonLegacy: *completely oblivious to her tears* Why is that so important?

Layra-chan: *softly* Because if you were a girl, then, then…the words…my feelings…it might not be so difficult to say…*runs off crying*

DreyonLegacy:…?…!! Layra-chan, WAIT!


End file.
